The Bluest Eyes
by earthlyXangel
Summary: In photos, Senri's eyes were a cool blue. In person, they registered as an overcast grey. Grey, lifeless, and perpetually raining. Rima didn't want more monotonous grey in her life. But that's what his distant eyes promised her: monotony, when she desired color. Yet, in spite of that dull grey, Rima finds herself strangely intrigued by the rainy, twilit agar scent of his blood...
1. Chapter 1

**AN:** Ummmm, so... I don't feel particularly satisfied with this story as it is, but if I wait and keep changing it, it will literally never be published. So...I decided to put up this chapter to see how people feel about it. If you don't like it, I can always take it down and try again, no harm done. But I really need some feedback, so I'd appreciate any/all reviews.

Anyway, this was meant to mirror _My Scarlet Letters_ in the sense that it would be in the same universe, the universe I created because I was unsatisfied with the end of the manga (pre- _VK Memories_ , which I have issues with and am planning to rewrite, too, but that's another can of worms..). In the end, it's kind of in it's own universe? This chapter (as you will see) takes place prior to the start of the manga, although not by much, and I had the school year start in January, after Xmas break, since, considering the events of the manga, it made sense to do it that way.

I disliked that Hino wrote Shima as childhood friends, because (IMO) it completes ruins any character development for Shiki. It's not as compelling a love story if they've known each other for most of their lives, vs them meeting and Rima changing him slowly. Not to mention, I feel like Hino totally brushed aside Shiki's rather tragic past? His mom is crazy and neither does he have a father figure, although he has to know from stories just how psychotic his father was. I mean, he was instructed to live like a doll by his own mother..? I think those circumstances would definitely be traumatic to grow up with. So... I felt that I should bring out those elements, to really showcase how important Rima's role in his life is. Otherwise, his character seems really flat and uninteresting to me, because he doesn't change and grow.

Additionally, I have added 2 more changes. 1- I gave Rima a little more emotion, at least internally (in her head)... Not a LOT, but a LITTLE because otherwise it's boring to read AND write... And, 2- I have Shima already friends with Ichijou and calling him Ichijou-kun(in the dialogue) rather than Ichijou-san, which is how both of them refer to him in the manga. Idk, minor changes, but worth mentioning to avoid confusion.

Anyway, on to the chapter. -nervous- -nervous-

* * *

 _Soon it will be...January..._

Those words reverberated curiously through her mind. At last, there would be a change to her monotonous existence. Day after day, minute after everlasting, repetitive minute, Rima had been growing bored. With work, life, everything. Continuing the same humdrum routine everyday was enough to make her want to roll over in the mornings and sleep through the day. Her dreams were far more interesting than anything the real world had to offer her. They immersed her in a world of color and sensations completely unlike the routine world in which she dwelled in. So, perhaps out of desperation, she had found herself vaguely eager when she had been approached to join the pureblood Kaname Kuran at his pointless endeavor of creating peace between the humans and vampires via the Night Class at a nearby human academy. The class had been around for a few years, though the idealism was lost on her, because in reality she thought that such a thing like peace wasn't possible, nor did she have any real interest in humans. They were just another boring aspect of the world that she could care less about. Another cardboard puzzle piece to a one dimensional, black and white picture. Not to mention, considering she was a noble vampire, if she was in need of blood she had only to ask one of her servants. Feeding was, like everything else, tedious and routine. Annoying, even, because she didn't want to be troubled by it.

And then, in addition to the small scrap of change that the academy offered, she discovered she would have a new coworker at the agency where she modeled, and not just any coworker. Her new colleague would be none other than Senri Shiki, aristocrat vampire like herself. He, like her, would be attending Cross Academy this year. It wasn't Shiki's sudden appearance itself that excited her, but rather the fact that she was an avid fan of his mother, who was a prominent actress, even though lately she had dropped off the map. Rima had wanted to become an actress since the first instant she'd seen Hana Shiki grace the screen. Compared to Hana's performances, modeling in photos was disappointingly shallow. She wanted something 3D, something that moved and lived and breathed and plunged her into fantasy. A photo could only express so much depth. A film, however... That was entirely different. That wasn't a sepia newspaper or a monochrome magazine cover. A film was multicolored and iridescent, glowing richly like a jewel in sand. _That_ was what Rima really desired, even though her parents advised against it, because fame brought with it many impertinent questions, such as: what's your secret to looking so young? Unfortunately, vampirism wasn't on the list of accepted responses.

The creak of the door opening interrupted her thoughts. Lazily, Rima adjusted one of the navy blue ribbons that adorned her golden pigtails before turning towards the sound. Her expression was nonplussed and serene, even as her nerves hummed with a hint of excitement. Perhaps Shiki would introduce her to his mother. Perhaps she could become friends with the woman she adored. Perhaps, then, she would even be given a chance in the acting industry. Even if her acting career would be short-lived due to her parents' opposition and her vampiric genes, she still wanted to experience it. With the sound of that door opening, it finally seemed as if the world was flickering with static, colorful possibilities.

She recognized him the moment he stepped through the threshold. His tousled, burgundy hair and blue eyes were the mirror image of his mother, even if the rest of him was somewhat different. He had already been assigned as Rima's partner on their next project, which began this afternoon, and she could see why. He was tall without looming over her, lean, with a fine bone structure that leant his features more towards the description _beautiful_ than _handsome_. In short, he made a perfect counterpoint for her own slim-boned build and pretty features. Not to mention, she rather favored his trendy, low-key style, even if the staff had chosen it for him for the shoot. He was dressed in jeans and a form-fitting, low-necked grey shirt that contrasted well with his hair and eyes. She decided, rather distantly, that as her model counterpart he was perfect. As a vampire, she wasn't yet sure if he won her approval. Certainly, his blood had a distinct scent to it, something akin to rain and dusk, with perhaps an undertone of agar. It was difficult to know if that mixture of subtle fragrances appealed to her or not. Either way, at least it wasn't something offensive or terribly vivid, like her friend Takuma Ichijou's scent. That scent made her crinkle her nose at times. This one did not.

"Nice to meet you," she told the vampire, tone as impassive as her face. She was cautiously optimistic about their partnership, but nevertheless this was their first meeting. Although most aristocratic vampires tended to have a passing familiarity with one another, the Shikis and Toyas were on opposing ends of the political spectrum and moreover both of their families were somewhat reclusive.

"Nice to meet you," he murmured in an automatic response. Her words barely processed in his eyes as he scanned the room and settled down at the other table beside hers.

"You're Senri Shiki aren't you?" the blond asked, though it was more of rhetorical question. Obviously she knew who he was. It wasn't as if she had seen every movie his mother had been in...or anything...

For a moment, she wondered if he had heard her at all. Then, belatedly, his eyes rose to meet hers, moving so sluggishly that she had the impression that they were anchored by heavy weights. In photos, his eyes had always been a cool blue; but here, in person, they registered as more of an overcast grey. Grey, and rather lifeless, really. They barely flickered in recognition of his own name. She could almost see dusty cogs rolling behind the screens of those eyes, processing her question. She detained a pensive frown before it marred her lips.

He said nothing. His expression did not even waver for an instant. Perhaps he was shy. And then his infuriating reply sounded: "Obviously."

Narrowing her eyes at this sarcastic, mechanical response, she declared, "I'm Rima Toya," though he was sure to already know her name.

There was another pause, one that buzzed loudly into the air. Abruptly, she felt a wave of impatience rush over her, refraining from tapping her foot to contain her sudden irritation. Her fantasies of having him introduce her to his mother were dashing to bits almost immediately, crashing and breaking like waves against the rocky grey of his eyes. She didn't want more monotonous grey in her life. She didn't want model work to be drudgery like it sometimes was. But that's what his expression was promising her: monotony. Monotony, when she desired color.

At last, his voice came, so softly that she might not have understood it at all without enhanced hearing. "Yes, I know."

That was all he said.

She shot her new partner a glare, not bothering to mask her emotions this time. How utterly rude. Sure, his mother was famous, but that didn't give him any right to dismiss her. It wasn't as if she was no one. She had quite a bit of popularity as a model herself, and besides, she also happened to be an aristocratic vampire of status, like him. She wasn't an insect to be brushed aside. The thought of working and attending school with this rude statue of a man was enough to give her a headache. After several more moments of protracted, thunderous silence, she stood, exiting the room and moving to sit rather indignantly in one of the chairs the staff had placed just outside the space taped off for the shoot, away from the vanity tables where she received last minute touch-ups.

It was not only in their exchange that Shiki failed to display any interest, however. For the course of the entire photo shoot, he remained impassive and silent. When spoken to, he scarcely bothered to respond. Stranger still, it was almost as if he was nothing more than a machine, going through the motions of the shoot without any investment or concern. He did as he was told, precisely as he was told, and never spoke a word to anyone. It was as if he was a living doll. The thought sent a shiver down her spine. She could almost imagine him as a mannequin, features painted on, hair sewn directly into his skin... He was hardly the Senri Shiki that she had imagined. Ichijou had mentioned that he was good friends with Shiki, but what was there to be friends with? He was hollow, flat, a blank canvas without a drop of color. The disappointment was a bitter pill to swallow.

Nevertheless, in spite of her misgivings, she decided to give it one last effort for the day. Approaching him as he gathered his things to leave, she launched immediately into what she had to say without any formalities. They would undoubtedly be wasted on him. "By the way, I've always liked your mom's movies. She's a talented actress."

Those dull grey eyes regarded her stoically. It was as if they were gravestones, indicating that all was dead within. It certainly seemed that way to her. "Thanks," was his only answer to her words.

"Is she going to act in any more movies, or has she retired for good?" she pressed, placing one hand on her hip.

He seemed to sigh, cornered into a longer response. "She-"

Before he could answer, however, an approaching older man with graying hair and a well-trimmed beard called out gruffly, "Shiki-sama, come along. You mustn't keep your mother waiting."

Sapphire eyes shot over to the newcomer in sudden irritation. She had finally elicited what she hoped would be a satisfactory response from her new partner, and of course this man chose that very moment to interrupt.

For a moment, Shiki hesitated. She took this opportunity to raise her eyebrows and ask, "Well, is she?"

He opened his mouth to answer, but the older man had at this point reached them and insisted, "Come, I must see you home now."

Immediately, the mahogany-haired model turned and followed wordlessly, completely halting the sort-of-conversation they had been having. Her brow drew together, gaze turning into a glower. Wasn't Senri Shiki an aristocrat, too? So then why was he following after this man so easily, like a sheep? At the very least, he could spare her ten seconds to answer the question. She stomped her foot, the words shooting off her lips like bullets.

"You're just going to obey mindlessly? How contemptible."

His head turned, grey eyes meeting hers for the briefest of instants, but then he had rounded the corner and was gone, as silently and completely as a ghost.

Rima stared after him for a long moment, contemplative and frustrated. Certainly, Senri Shiki's behavior wasn't normal for a human, vampire, or anything else. Collecting her bag and jacket, she thought perhaps she shouldn't completely dismiss him just yet. After all, they were going to be coworkers and classmates for an extended period of time, weren't they?

She sighed.

* * *

Clouded eyes stared upwards, colorless and hollow. Slowly, they shifted over, watching the rain outside the window as it traced pathways of crystal liquid down the glass. Those grey eyes saw only darkness; a murky, static numbness that had crept through his veins like anesthesia. His existence had been suppressed down to a flicker of light secreted away in the most hidden chamber of his mind. There, the numbness was so complete, so entirely consuming, that it had become a comfort. Within it, he could not see the world clearly, but rather through a blurred fog. His eyes had drained of color and life, until all that he could distinguish were silhouettes. It was the only way that he knew how to live anymore, the only way that preserved his mother's smile...

His mother… Her descent into the void of madness had drug him under, too. She had told him it was better if he didn´t think, if he didn´t feel. Then, he couldn´t become reminiscent of the man his father was, even if he carried that same tainted blood in his veins. It had been her decision that he enter the modeling world. She didn´t remember it now that her mind was torn to shreds, but he recalled with burning, toxic clarity how she had murmured under her breath that his father´s genetics were best left like that: behind glass, untouched. There, they couldn't fester into the obsessive, vengeful, lustful madness that had drove Rido Kuran to his end.

That was the reason why he sat like a doll every day while the camera did the work. He stood like a mannequin while his father´s features, the ones his mother so detested, consumed photograph after photograph, advertisement after advertisement. He moved when they told him, posed how they told him, wore what they told them. Like a puppet. Like a corpse. And when they praised him or called him beautiful, the words bounced off his ears meaninglessly. He himself was nothing. What was a face? Only a facade. And there was nothing behind it but emptiness. He was trapped, robotically going through the motions of each day. But, he had to remind himself that he was, after all, only a robot in the end. A puppet. There was no one inside his body but a ghost. It was only a phantom that would be attending Cross Academy in the all-too-near future.

Even though, on rare occasions, he forgot how to entirely close himself off, and found himself laughing at Ichijou's antics or enjoying the freedom of being away from his mother or the overbearing, glum servants that abounded the house. Truthfully, traitorously, he was looking forward to attending school. It had been too long since he'd seen his friend. Too long since he'd laughed. If it wasn't for his mother, he would have risked the descent into madness, because really...secretly...he didn't want to live like this...

His eyes fell shut, preferring the soothing void of sleep, where nothing was required of him. He could merely drift in the dark there, and escape the confines of his house, his room, his body. As he gradually succumbed to sleep, there was a moment, only the briefest of flashes, in which he could see a lightning strike of blue and heard that sharp voice demand, " _You're just going to obey mindlessly? How contemptible."_ A resonating echo in his chest answered, Y _eah, it really is contemptible_...

And then, just as quickly, he had muffled the memory, snuffing it out before it could cast light on the numbness. It was best if he did not think at all...

* * *

 **AN:** Be sure to share your thoughts in a review! Let me know if it's _TOO_ different from Hino's characterizations, if it bothers you, if it starts out too angsty, if the whole premise is just terrible, etc etc. The only thing I think I would be unwilling to change is Shima being childhood friends, because I really didn't like that. So, yeah, review please!


	2. Chapter 2

**AN:** Thank you for the reviews! I know you're right and Hino didn't us much to go off of, but I can't help but be nervous...hehe... also this is still very much a "beginning" chapter.

Important info: Hino briefly discussed that bloodthirst is in part physical and in part emotional/psychological. For that reason, I want to stress that when Shiki says he's "hungry", it's not really that he's starving or anything, but more a result of his situation.

Also, I've given Rima some hobbies. Reading (including plays/theater since she likes acting), sketching clothes, etc.

* * *

"Everyone out! Everyone into the common area!" an all-too familiar voice exclaimed loudly.

Rima sighed, flipping shut her book and at last making her way out of the dorm room she unfortunately shared with Ruka Souen. Coming to the academy had been fairly uneventful, but today Ichijou had been making a fuss for the last ten minutes straight, attempting to gather all of the vampires together, although she resisted until the last moment possible. She didn't really appreciate being torn from a good book, especially on the last free weekend she had before the start of the semester. Although, she couldn't say she wasn't grateful to leave the dorm room, which was infused with Ruka's heady perfume of rose, jasmine, and gardenia. The scent clogged her nostrils, even with the window cracked open. She wasn't sure how she was going to endure it for the remainder of the year.

Moving down the hallway towards the common room, she saw Ichijou standing at the top of the stairs. Below him, the majority of the Night Class waited with varying levels of patience. It didn't escape her notice that the pureblood, Kaname, was nowhere to be seen. For someone who had so strongly promoted the coexistence of vampires and humans at this academy, he certainly hadn't made any special effort lately to lead his cause. Instead, he had appointed Ichijou as his vice president, and as such thrown the entire burden of leadership on the noble vampire's slender shoulders.

In front of her, masked by the shadow of the hall, Senri Shiki leaned against the wall, seemingly bored, though it would have difficult for her to tell if that was how he actually felt, seeing as how he was essentially a robot. Nevertheless, she came to a stop beside him wordlessly, reluctant to stray too far from her bed and her book...and even more reluctant to join the mass of noble vampires below. The company of one lifeless mannequin was a thousand times preferable to being squished in an onslaught of facetious politicians who all hoped to gain favor with the more powerful aristocratic families. Her lips curved downward. She didn't want to be bothered with politics today. Or ever.

At her approach, Ichijou turned and gave her a radiant smile. Senri Shiki, however, only gave her a slight nod in greeting. At least he acknowledged her presence... She smoothed out a crease on her skirt to mask her sour expression. Despite her attempts at conversation, at work or elsewhere, Shiki had relentlessly deflected each and every one. The only person he showed any inclination towards was Ichijou. Everyone else might as well be wallpaper, including her. Normally it wouldn't have bothered her at all but, after seeing how well the two models complemented each other in their photo shoot together, the staff had opted to partner them together for the foreseeable future. She could hardly believe her misfortune.

It seemed Rima had been the person her enthusiastic friend had been waiting on. Without any further ado, the blonde dorm leader raised his arms and declared cheerfully, "Good morning everyone, I won't keep you long because I know you have a great many things to do in preparation for the upcoming school year, but I wanted to say a few words before the start of the semester as vice president.

"First, I would like to say welcome to Cross Academy and thank you for taking part in our vision for coexistence with humans. While it might take some time to see the signs of our work to build trust and a culture of collaboration and harmony, there are immediate signs of new growth and progress all around us. This year, we are joined by more of our friends and peers, making this the largest Night Class to date. I'm excited to begin the school year and share this school and this place with all of the students, vampire and human alike."

Rima gave a little sigh. She never really understood why schools always insisted on such repetitive speeches, especially when they didn't really inspire her at all. The modeling school she had attended had been exactly the same. She felt her foot tap against the ground. She wanted to finish her book before lunch, and it was already almost 11 PM. She wrapped and unwrapped the end of a pigtail around her index finger in boredom, already drowning out the vice president's words. Yes yes, okay okay, they should all get along, etc.

Ichijou continued with gusto, "Communication is the lifeblood of a healthy school. Therefore, if any of you encounters any problems during the year, I ask that you inform myself or Kaname-sama immediately so that we can avoid any conflict. I don't need to tell you that our existence as vampires is a secret, therefore we must be careful not to put the Day Class students in danger.

"Again, thank you for coming here and taking part in this. I am looking forward to a wonderful school year because I strongly believe that this year will be an important and exciting step forward for Cross Academy. I am deeply committed to working with everyone to make it a truly extraordinary year for the school. Whatever you do this semester, give it your 100%!"

"Except drink the humans' blood," the burgundy-haired model muttered beside her dryly.

Rima suppressed a laugh, lips twitching upwards. She shouldn't laugh, not when Ichijou was clearly making an honest effort to motivate everyone. But... Then, just as suddenly, she sobered, turning her head sharply towards Shiki. Had he just made a joke? The eyes that met hers were grey, serene, unruffled. As if he'd said nothing. Although, this time she caught a hint of blue there. Only a taste. Only the faintest suggestion of color. But at least, it was something other than the drab nothing that had characterized that gaze before. And then, as the vice president dismissed everyone, the model simply walked up to join him, leaving her standing there in complete disbelief.

* * *

Senri traced the wooden grain of the table behind which he sat, head supported on his palm, eyes unfocused as the mist of consciousness clung hazily around him. He was half-asleep with ambivalence and boredom, and only vaguely aware of their teacher saying, "We here in the Night Class are the first of our kind in the world to test these newly developed blood tablets. Not only are we the pride of this school, we are also the pride of the entire vampire race."

Blood tablets... The thought ghosted across his mind, phantom-like. What were those like? Would they be available for all vampires someday? The image of his mother clouded his vision for a moment, her eyes wild and unfocused, clutching at him as her fangs sank deep and painful into his throat. His fingers pressed hard against the tabletop as he took a breath, remembering where he was. Class, he was in class. The orientation class his cousin, the pureblood Kaname Kuran, had mandated they all attend. He shook his head, as if he could cast off such recollections like flimsy spider webs.

"Somehow I really doubt that," Ruka Souen was saying. "We're just a study group anyway." She shrugged, silken honey curls tumbling over her shoulders with the movement.

Blood tablets... The thought came again, unbidden. He inhaled Ruka's scent, finding it strangely offensive, and turned his head away. If he thought about it too closely...he was really starving... Even someone with blood as distasteful as Ruka's wouldn't be bad... But although his mouth and throat were harshly demanding nutrition, insisting from the back of his mind where he kept his hunger chained and hidden, he ignored his needs. The one who needed blood was his mother. His mother, who could never again sate herself with the blood of her beloved...

"I don't know about that. After all, co-existence with humans like this...it is a huge step forward. Right, Kaname?" Ichijou piped up cheerfully. Leave it to the vice president to forget the pureblood's title...

"That's right," Kaname agreed. "After all, we have the chairman to thank for everything we've learned here." He didn't chastise the blond for calling him by his name, although Senri was sure he would have punished anyone else for presuming to do so.

Already, the mahogany-haired vampire's thoughts were drifting away again, like clouds; insubstantial and forever changing, slowly morphing from one shape to the next in a constant motion. Curiously, he took note of more of the various scents around him, some better than others. Obviously pureblood was the most appetizing, though he also believed that obnoxious human guardian Yuki Cross to have a tasty aroma. Ichijou, on the other hand, had rather pungent blood, like Ruka or Hanabusa Aidou. It was too...much, too vivid. Senri hungered for something more unique, something more subtle. Something...

The smell of electric dahlias flooded his nostrils. Glancing up, he saw Rima enter the room, late just as she had been for the earlier speech; sapphire eyes flashing over the room until spotting an empty chair. She settled there, perching herself between two vampires he didn't recognize like a bird poised for flight. Maybe, someone with a scent like that would be alright... His throat felt scratchy, but he dismissed it, as he dismissed everything else. It was unneeded, such a carnal thing like hunger. It was better if he just forgot it, as he forgot everything else, including himself.

His eyes were back to tracing the wooden grain. Retracing it. Losing himself there. Yet, perhaps in reality he was searching for himself. After all, he had already left himself behind in the maze of his mind long, long ago. From those first moments his mother had pleaded with him to remain empty. To remain a doll. Since then, he had buried himself under rubble, carved himself out like a hollow pumpkin. And just like that, his hunger slipped away, vanished like smoke. He was just like that, after all. Incorporeal, selfless smoke. Even if, in reality, he knew that to be a lie.

* * *

Rima sank further into the warm water, feeling her muscles relax and lose their tension. Despite the multitude of speeches and events throughout the day, she was at ease and pleased that she had found enough time to finish reading her novel. Lazily, she raised her hand, running it through the bubbles that reposed leisurely against the surface of the water. Her life was rather like that, she thought, leaning her head against the wall of the tub: warm, slow, relaxed... There was not a ripple in it, not even the smallest wrinkle...

Her towel, waiting on the sink counter, suddenly caught her eye. The color the maids had provided this evening was grey. A kind of drab, slate grey... Grey, like monotony, like Shiki's eyes... With a flash of irritation, she scowled and turned her gaze away. She didn't want to be reminded of grey, even if the touch of blue that had flowered in his eyes after that single sarcastic remark during Ichijou's speech had lingered. Even if those tendrils of gentle color intrigued her...

She exhaled, tracing the folds with her eyes, contemplating. Perhaps there was one ripple, after all. More of a pebble, a kind of grey, nondescript pebble. The corner of her mouth pulled down in a slight frown. She would be lying to herself if she said she wasn't bothered by Shiki's character. He, like the imaginary pebble, dropped into her world and just sank straight down, down until it hit the bottom without so much as a word; soundlessly, intangibly, but heavily. And there it sat, an uncomfortable weight added to her days that she could not dislodge.

At least she would soon have classes to distract herself with. This was her first time in the Night Class, so it was a new experience for her, but she thought it should prove slightly interesting at the very least. For her, a monotone, tedious existence was worse than death, but playing human and attending school seemed different enough to rouse her interest for a while. And, at the worst, she didn't think Kaname would take particular offense if she wanted to leave. She was nothing more than a faceless member of the multitude of noble vampires to him. There was no danger to her departure, if that was what she chose. But for now, she thought she'd give it a try.

If only she could say the same for any potential camaraderie with Senri Shiki...

* * *

 **AN:** More so than any other pairing, I feel like Shima would move very slow...inch by inch, so please bear with me as I gradually move this forward. Also, let me know if anything seemed bad/OOC/etc. I know this could be improved a lot.


	3. Chapter 3

**AN:** Take 3 of my nervous attempt at Shima! Let's see how it goes...

* * *

"Please take care of Shiki-kun." It almost sounded like a plea. A whispered plea as Ichijou-kun's eyes clung to her coworker's back, darkening with seriousness.

Rima absorbed the lines of preoccupation that marked her friend's brow and nodded assent. "Sure," she agreed, even while internally sighing. After a few shoots working together...Shiki still seemed like a frustratingly boring person.

"It's time," one of the staff declared, calling an abrupt end to their conversation. "Rima, Shiki, please head for building C. And Shiki, you get sunburned really easily, so share Rima's umbrella."

The mahogany-haired model glanced up at the sun, grimacing in a gesture that, surrounded by the human staff, only she and Ichijou would understand. The bright sunlight was both disorienting and discomforting for vampires, which was only part of the reason why she carried a parasol with her whenever she ventured out in the daylight hours. The stroll across the grounds to building C wasn't a particularly long one, but Rima did not want one freckle to mar her pale, white skin. Not when she was renowned for her complexion. Perhaps later, years from now, when she was forced to abandon her career, she would abandon the parasol, too.

"Can you please act like a professional model?" the staff demanded when Shiki didn't immediately comply with their request, and Rima gestured for her coworker to join her under her lavender parasol as they were shuffled along to their interview. Ichijou waved them off cheerfully, ducking back into the sleek black car that had brought him and her mahogany-haired coworker to the agency that afternoon.

"So troublesome..." Shiki murmured, and her lips rose a fraction of a centimeter in agreement. "Why do we have to have an interview in the daytime..."

Rima blinked, caught off guard by the sudden conversation. Even if it was a mere sentence that he'd uttered, it was a sentence more than she'd anticipated. It seemed her coworker was in a better, or at least more talkative, mood today. Could it be because of Ichijou? Perhaps the vice president had a positive effect on her colleague. "This time it's a more popular magazine, so we can't really dictate the time of the interview." She shrugged. "Well, it's no big deal. We can go back to sleep later."

"Maybe..." In front of them, across the lawn, stood the small brick building labeled C. "It's here, huh?" Shiki muttered, stepping forward to push open the door.

Shutting the parasol with a soft click, Rima followed her coworker into the faux-welcoming lobby. To their left was a waiting area of plush chairs and recent magazines; to the right, a fish tank built into the wall housed various darting, colorful forms. It reminded her more of a dentist's office than a building for a modeling agency, and judging by the glance framed by upraised eyebrows that Shiki exchanged with her, she surmised he felt the same. Before either vampire could move to ring the bell at the unmanned reception desk, a honeyed voice caught in their ears.

"Oh, you two must be Toya and Shiki-san!" A tall woman stepped forward, offering them her hand to shake. She presented a professional figure in her blue suit with her ash-brown hair tied back into a tight bun. She adjusted her glasses, giving them a friendly smile as she told them, "I'm Sofia Grimm. It's a pleasure. Right this way, if you please?"

The room she led them to was small but cozy. Rima and Shiki immediately made themselves comfortable on the green, floral-printed couch, and the reporter settled herself into the chair across from them, retrieving her recorder from her handbag. When she asked them for permission to begin, Rima nodded idly. It was to her that Sofia first turned her attention.

"So, Toya-san, tell us how you got involved in modeling."

It was a question that the blond vampire had answered many times, but never in the company of Senri Shiki. She took a small breath, curious about coworker's response, and stated, "I admired Shiki-san's mother. I loved how brilliantly she came alive in her films. …I was so sad when I learned she quit being an actress after only ten years…"

Beside her, Shiki had grown strangely still, a thousand miles away as his eyes unfocused into nothing. He seemed to fade away, grow dusty and incorporeal. Rima adjusted the slight pensive frown that threatened her lips, straightening it back into impassiveness.

"Oh. How wonderful that the two of you are partners now!" the reporter gushed. "The recent winter shoot the two of you did has received rave reviews. Is there any secret to your success?"

Rima shrugged. "My father has always told me to gather news about the industry, so I always pay attention to the new trends..."

"But initially you were interested in acting, is that right?"

"Yes. I still am." One day... For now, that dream had been put on hold.

"Well, I hope to see you perform someday! Shiki-san, tell us, do you have any other aspirations aside from modeling?" Sofia turned her attention to the burgundy-haired model now.

Gradually, the grey eyes shifted back into focus, and he answered, "Not particularly..."

"Why did you enter the modeling world?"

A lackluster shrug.

Undeterred by his lack of response, the reporter pushed on. "Regardless, you're quite popular here in Japan, especially with teenage girls. Many are asking, are you currently in a relationship?"

Rima snorted to herself. The questions were as ridiculous and shallow as ever.

"No."

"What is your ideal woman like? Do you have any role models?"

"My ideal woman... She's..." Shiki trailed off.

"Yes?" The reporter leaned forward.

"Ideal." His nonplussed expression perfectly accented the sarcastic response. Rima cracked a smile.

The reporter was losing enthusiasm now. "What about role models?"

Another shrug.

"And you, Toya-san?"

The blond said coolly, "Hana Shiki, of course."

Sofia pursed her lips. "Of course."

The rest of the interview didn't go any better. Shiki barely offered more than two words of the remainder of the hour, and Rima's responses were repetitions of ones she had already given in earlier interviews. When their time was up, Sofia was obviously more than ready to leave the room, and Rima was more than ready to oblige her.

"Thank you both, it's been a pleasure," the woman told them, voice absent of all sincerity, and while she had to drive all the way back to Tokyo that day, Rima and Shiki were attending the luncheon in the adjacent building. Rima didn't have much sympathy, and as soon as she'd voiced a token goodbye she wasted no time exiting the building and heading for the luncheon held that afternoon.

* * *

Absorbing the tables laden with food for the luncheon after the interview, Senri felt the heavy mixture of scents sink into the pit of his stomach in a leaden knot. His appetite had vanished years ago and never returned. Watching the staff gorge themselves on the various plates made him queasy. Somehow, food had lost all its appeal to him.

Actually, if there was something he wanted to eat... Wasn't it...blood? For an uneasy moment, the swarming room of humans filled with that hot red liquid seemed almost appetizing. In the next moment, he shifted closer to Rima, inhaling the faint electric hum of her blood, and felt pacified. Pacified, and also...agitated. He shut his eyes, allowing the glimmer of crimson hunger to pass. He did like her scent, even if it did rasp at the back of his throat in a disquieting way that was difficult to ignore. He should talk to her, but he couldn't remember how to interact with anyone apart from Ichijou. He had passed too many years collecting dust, walled away from the world with his mother...

He glanced at the slender, golden-haired model beside him. As for Rima herself, he was gradually becoming accommodated to her presence. She was not a friend but neither was she a stranger, and he had no complaints with her aside from her occasional mentions of his mother. He knew Hana Shiki had gained quite a reputation and it was natural for her to have fans, but...away from the house, he didn't want to be reminded of what awaited him at home. He didn't want to remember his mother's wild, untamed hair and vacant eyes. More than anything, he didn't want to remember the agonizing, ravenous slash of her teeth at his throat. He flinched, the muscles in his neck spasming with the whisper of reminiscence. She always bit so deep...as though she was attempting to sever his very life with her fangs.

Still. She was his mother and it was his responsibility to care for her. And...in spite of everything...he still felt some kind of nameless emotion when he imagined her alone and hungry back at the house. Affection? Pity? Perhaps that vague lump of sentiment he couldn't decipher might in fact be labeled as love. Quashed down along with all the rest of his emotions, it was impossible to say. Nevertheless, he wasn't in a hurry to return home. He was content to remain at the academy, attending classes at night, working during the day, and sleeping at every opportunity in between. Besides, Ichijou, the only friend he'd ever permitted himself to have, was here.

Staring absently around the bustling, noisy room, Senri felt markedly disconnected. He only desired to return to his bed in the dorms and sleep. Sleep, and forget once more the unpleasant memories of Hana Shiki, the berating afternoon sun, and the pointless interview. A model was an image, a disjointed body and face. Why did personality matter? The camera lens didn't differentiate its subjects, didn't reveal their pasts or their aspirations or their thoughts. What use were interviews in the modeling industry? What use were such shallow lies?

There was nothing interesting to know about him anyway. He was simply the embodiment of his mother's wishes and the painful reminder of his father. Nothing more. Nothing else.

* * *

Rima glanced over at her partner. After the interview, if it was possible, he had withdrawn even further into himself. And he wasn't eating. As the staff gobbled every morsel in sight, he stared down at the table with unfocused, overcast eyes. Even his pallor was greyish, unfocused, and adrift. She bit her lip. True, it was frustrating how unresponsive he was, but Ichijou had asked her to look after Shiki. And he was her partner, after all...

The blond's snack of choice was chocolate pocky. Today, she had come prepared with a new package of delicious cookie sticks, and although she was reluctant to share them, she made an exception. Without sparing the aristocrat a glance, she proffered one of her precious sticks. A pause. She swallowed the rest of the mouthful she had been chewing, head propped in her other hand as she surveyed the table with a distinct lack of interest. The pause hovered uncertainly until, at last, she felt the snack leave her hand and heard the unmistakable crunch of a bite. She stole a glimpse of the mahogany-haired vampire, who was devouring the treat at an alarming rate. Immediately, she offered a second stick, which disappeared just as quickly.

Perhaps she should have been amused. Instead, she was concerned. If he really was hungry, he should eat...yet he always picked at his plate at meals. No wonder he was always falling asleep in the common area in the dorms at the academy or in various chairs between shoots here at the agency... Troubled, she continued to feed him pocky, occasionally taking a cookie for herself. Rima was always careful not to overeat, though as a vampire her metabolism was quite high and she didn't have to fret over her figure like the human models. Shiki, on the other hand, was lucky he wasn't underweight. She assumed he had to at least be drinking blood at home and taking the tablets at the school. ...Right?

No, probably not...

Troubled, she passed her coworker yet another of the chocolate sticks. Didn't Shiki take care of himself at all? He was a model, and that required a certain amount of physical and emotional upkeep. But, if he wasn't eating, wasn't regularly sleeping, wasn't drinking blood... Vexed, she glanced at the clock and wondered how much longer she had to endure this day. It shouldn't be her responsibility to preoccupy herself with Shiki when they had only been working together for a month. But. He was her partner, too...

Working her way through another cookie, the blond vampire pushed such concerns from her mind. Ichijou could worry enough for both of them. And anyway, she wasn't going to brood over someone who barely exchanged words with her. Even if that someone was talking with her more, bit by bit. She shook her head. No. She had already made her decision. Let Ichijou deal with it.

All the same, the remainder of the pocky passed slowly to the mahogany-haired model throughout the afternoon.

* * *

 **AN:** Thoughts? Review!


	4. Chapter 4

**AN:** I know it isn't canon, but I like the idea of vampires just being attracted to certain people's blood. And, you know, it helps push together certain aloof characters... -cough-

* * *

In spite of the numerous other tasks Rima would rather be doing at the moment, it was unfortunately time for class. Her novels and sketches of clothing designs would have to wait. While irritating, attending the lectures was an unavoidable aspect of participating in the Night Class; but of course, just to further irritate her, the only available seat in the class was beside Senri Shiki. Rima sighed, making her way over to the table. At least Ichijou was seated there as well, at the end of the table beside Shiki. The two of them were conversing in a murmur, and Rima felt oddly annoyed. What could they be talking about? Around her at work, Shiki had the personality of a shoebox and about as much to say as one. The only positive trait he possessed was his sense of fashion. Around the dorms he was always dressed tastefully, although in class he had to wear the uniform like everyone else. Of course, recently he had been speaking to her more, but regardless she remained thoroughly vexed by him.

Nevertheless, she had no choice but to take the seat. Ichijou greeted her cheerfully, and Shiki at least acknowledged her presence with a slight nod. Fortunately, the seat they had left empty at their table was beside the wide window of frosted glass, so Rima would have plenty to distract herself with throughout what promised to be a thoroughly boring lecture. Although it was dark both inside and out of the classroom, the blond's eyes adjusted easily to the dimness and could pick out the leaves swaying on the trees, and even hear the rustle of their edges as they brushed together beyond the glass. For a moment, she entertained the notion of leaving this very moment and skipping class. She wanted to be outside, to breathe in the fresh night air and read a book in some tranquil corner of the campus. Stuffed in the classroom with the multitude of vampire nobles, Rima's nostrils were assaulted with an assortment of fragrances, few of them particularly pleasing or aesthetic.

Naturally, the pureblood Kaname Kuran's scent struck her as incomparably desirable. It's indescribable, alluring perfume appealed to her more than any other's in the room. But that was to be expected, and honestly a rather dull occurrence simply because of its predictability. Strangely, it was the person directly beside her who most peaked her interest. His scent was soothing, subdued yet pleasing, and completely... Her thoughts ground to an abrupt halt as a lightning bolt of despair burst through her eyes. No way... How could someone as grey and lackluster as Senri Shiki provoke even an inkling of bloodlust in her? She had just been on the verge of thinking he smelled... _delicious._ Annoyed, she attempted to disregard his presence entirely, but was rewarded instead by involuntarily tuning into his conversation with Ichijou.

"You can't hate the Night Class already, Shiki-kun," the green-eyed vampire was chiding. "Classes only started less than a month ago."

The model raised an eyebrow. "You'd never know that...considering how crazy the Day Class girls have become..."

Ichijou chuckled. "It seems like you're popular."

A pained expression crossed the mahogany-haired vampire's face. "Great," he replied sarcastically.

Rima found herself glaring in irritation. So, he would talk normally to Ichijou but not to her? And she had actually been marginally worried about this person, if he was eating well, if he was taking care of himself properly? He didn't deserve her concerns. She turned back to the window pointedly. She was done listening. Only, she couldn't seem to avoid overhearing them...

"Although...," Shiki murmured, "school is better than being home..."

Now he had her attention. She couldn't help it. She had seen every one of his mother's movies. She'd starting modeling because she'd been inspired by Hana Shiki, and wanted to expand her career to acting because of her, too. To Rima, Hana Shiki was a role model and an artist. She couldn't imagine why her colleague wouldn't want to spend more time with such a brilliant woman. He was lucky to have such an accomplished, graceful, and beautiful person as his mother...although, any mention of her apparently shut down any trickle of personality he was displaying...

But Ichijou swiftly changed the course of the conversation, a sympathetic glimmer sparking through his eyes as the corners of his mouth tilted down into a momentary frown. Rima was officially curious, and officially disappointed that the two vampires had begun to talk of other things. Like the disgusting, practically unpalatable pills that were supposed to replace blood.

* * *

"How are the blood tablets?" Ichijou asked eagerly.

Senri shrugged. They were...tolerable, he supposed. If he had to express an opinion, he might say he hated them. They tasted vile; the slimy, viscous nature of the water after they were dissolved into it made his stomach clench. But they suppressed the hunger he denied, the hunger that scratched insistently at the back of his throat. It was harder, too, to ignore that hunger when someone who smelled like Rima Toya was seated next to him. Here in the confines of the classroom, the faint, delectable perfume that wafted from Rima's veins agitated his throat. The subtle fragrance of her blood tempted him, beckoned his eyes to slip into crimson desire, and although he resisted, he could feel the pressure of his fangs as they urged him to surrender to his vampiric nature.

"You're hungry. Yeah... I think the same," her low voice shocked him out of his temporary lapse, and for a moment he worried she might have somehow gleaned his thoughts. "Here." She pulled a thin box out of her jacket pocket and extracted a stick of chocolate pocky, offering it to him.

Surprised and grateful, he accepted the sweet, distracting himself with the sugary confection instead of with thoughts of her blood. Gradually, he felt the demands of his hunger decrease and fade as he occupied himself with sucking every last particle of chocolate from the stick beneath before biting off half the cookie with a satisfactory crunch. When the last of the sweet vanished past his lips, he noticed that Rima was eating one, too. She did not offer one to Ichijou, and although the vice president didn't notice, Senri did. He noticed, and felt somehow...pleased. It was an almost disquieting sensation.

"I think the tablets are a good idea, though," Ichijou was saying. "At least, they'll prevent the Night Class from feeling an urge to prey upon the Day Class. We have to try to peaceably live side by side without incident, after all."

"Really?" Senri asked mildly. "It seems more like we're being punished considering the taste. Medieval torture..."

Rima gave a short laugh. She blinked, as though caught off-guard, and commented, "But they are effective... Even if the texture might drive some of us insane..."

"At least, I haven't felt any hunger since taking them." Ichijou's green eyes were sincere.

Rima raised an eyebrow but said nothing. Senri remained quiet, too. It was true. The tablets had effectively mollified any desire for human blood. At least, they had until this very moment.

"Is Ichijou-kun really a vampire?" Rima mused, daintily licking a smudge of chocolate from one of her fingers. Senri caught himself covertly watching the precise movements of her tongue and forced himself away from the thought. Everything was addling him today... He hadn't felt his bloodlust roused like this in a while... He shifted his head away from her, towards the green-eyed vampire. Ichijou's vibrant, heady fragrance erased every vestige of hunger the mahogany-haired model might have felt. The corner of his mouth edged slightly upward. The vice president was unappetizing.

The model shook his head, ignoring his friend's immediate protest as well as his own thoughts as he agreed, "No, he's always been pretending. He's actually..." He glanced at the vice president and said flatly, "...Just some old pervert."

Rima sniggered, and Ichijou immediately denied this statement, asking with the trace of a pout hovering around his lips, "Is that really what Shiki-kun thinks of me?"

"I'm not the one proposing indecent things to the Day Class girls..." Senri stared at the vice president, gaze unwavering as it dared the blond to refute the statement.

"There's also your questionable manga collection," Rima added noncommittally.

Ichijou looked affronted. He was about to respond when the door opened and the teacher at last arrived. Immediately, the room quieted. Senri focused his eyes on the front of the room, but in reality he was everything but attentive to the forthcoming lecture. He was distracted. Distracted by the flowery, electric fragrance of the girl beside him. He sighed. He wanted another stick of that chocolate. It was ever so slightly infused with her scent, as she had no doubt been carrying the box with her all day, and the rich taste was enough to take his mind off of his nagging hunger.

He glanced at her in spite of himself. At first, he hadn't been sure how to feel about being Rima Toya's work partner, especially given her love of his mother, which she had professed in several interviews. And in general, he found the company of other models to be tiresome. But Rima was mild and cool, at least from his observance of her. Maybe they got along well, after all...

To his surprise, a second stick of chocolate popped up before him. The blond model was impassive, expression unruffled, but once he took the sweet gratefully she extracted a second one for herself. And once again, not a single morsel passed to Ichijou. The hint of a smile traced across Senri's lips. For some reason, he was feeling just a little selfish...

* * *

"Kaname-sama manages to make our simple uniforms so fashionable," Ruka commented with pride as she brushed her honey tresses. "Yet, on half the Night Class they still look so distasteful."

Rima shrugged, generally disengaged from the current line of conversation. In the three weeks that Rima had been rooming with the pretentious vampire noble, Ruka Souen had mentioned Kaname-sama, directly or not, approximately five hundred and eighty times. The model made a mental tally. Five hundred eighty-one. Even when Ruka wasn't talking about her beloved Kaname-sama, she usually found some other way to center her existence around the pureblood. Rima sighed internally as she idly flipped the page of the magazine she was reading, making note of the recent trends and popular brands. Although she had a distinctive sense of fashion, she still kept abreast of the latest news in the industry. She couldn't afford to lose her edge, even if she was exceptionally attractive as far as human standards went.

"You don't find Kaname-sama lovely?" the other vampire inquired then, tone innocuous, although Rima ascertained her roommate was probing for potential unwanted competition.

The model bit off a comment on their leader's blood, and instead gave an uninterested reply of, "He's alright." It wasn't that Kaname wasn't handsome or charismatic, but rather that Rima held no special interest in him. She respected him as the leader of the Night Class and would obey him as a pureblood, but beyond that... She felt another shrug conquer her shoulders.

Ruka honed in on her response like a hawk, suggesting slyly, "You spend a lot of time with Ichijou-san, though..."

Rima closed her magazine and sourly regarded the girl through her lashes, denying simply, "No."

"And Shiki-san is your work partner...," her roommate tried again.

Peeved now, the model worked the ribbons out of her hair with a touch more force than was necessary. Yes, Shiki was gorgeous, fashionable, and smelled far better than most of the rabble at the academy, but... But he had only spoken to her because Ichijou had been there. And he was grey. Grey and colorless and bland, like hospital walls or plain rice.

Even though his eyes had seemed blue tonight in class. Even though he had at last come to life, if only temporarily. Even though he had made her laugh. Even though she had seen the dusty tinge of red hunger suffuse across his eyes...

Pursing her lips, she dropped the ribbons on her nightstand. So what? He didn't like her. Otherwise, he would have made more of an effort towards her. She didn't know why she'd given him the pocky. Probably because she'd needed a distraction and it seemed right to offer. She'd already determined not to worry about him anymore, after all. And if the scent of his blood roused her senses, it was because he was Kaname's cousin. Case closed.

"Shiki-san," she made careful use of the title, although in her head she usually dropped it out of her irritation with him, "is as interesting as a rock."

Ruka blinked. "He's always with Ichijou-san, though."

Rima deigned not to reply. She didn't like the bitter aftertaste their class this evening had left behind, built up like bile in the back of her throat. Shiki was a mystery she wasn't sure she had the energy to decipher. Instead, she lay down in her bed. Soon it would be dawn, and at least she would be at liberty to imbibe one of the chalky tablets and forget the itch of hunger that stuck in her mouth.

"It's a shame, don't you think?" Ruka asked, moving to lay in her own bed. "Shiki-san shares Kaname-sama's blood, after all. But they're nothing alike."

Five hunded eighty-two. Rima answered, "Yeah..."

Yet, despite her efforts to pass all her preoccupations and curiosity into oblivion, when she slept her dreams were infused with grey. And perhaps a tinge of crimson.

* * *

 **AN:** Review!


	5. Chapter 5

**AN:** A rather unexciting chapter all in all...next time I plan to have something better. And... Sorry for the Kaname bashing...I can't help myself sometimes hehehe.

* * *

"Thank goodness it's the weekend," Ruka commented as she braided the waves of honey hair that cascaded over her shoulders and down to her waist.

"Yeah," Rima agreed disinterestedly, browsing the bookcase she had stocked with unread novels, plays, and poetry. She'd voraciously consumed a stack of literature already this semester, but she made it a point to collect more whenever she was able, so her supply hadn't dwindled enormously. Which was good...Rima did not enjoy enduring even moment of boredom.

"I wonder what Kaname-sama is up to..." her roommate murmured.

That brought the tally up to almost 900 mentions of Kaname Kuran in a month. Rima rolled her eyes at the row of books in front of her, trailing her finger across their spines until she found one that seemed particularly appealing today. If she heard the pureblood's name come from Ruka's mouth one more time today, she might throw up.

"He'll be in his room," Rima commented wryly. "All day." Because that was all the pureblood did. Ever.

"He must be lonely..."

"Why don't you go find out?" the model suggested with a touch of asperity, pushing her arm through the sleeve of her chic designer jacket and heading towards the door determinedly.

"Oh! I couldn't possibly!" The slight flush on Ruka's cheeks sent Rima's eyes shooting skyward again. "Kaname-sama doesn't like to be disturbed."

"Well, I'm going to go read outside," she told her roommate ruthlessly.

"Alright. I'm in the mood for a shopping spree, I think. I hope Akatsuki will go with me."

"I'm sure he will." One hundred percent sure, given the redhead's complete and totally misguided infatuation with the honey-haired vampire.

"I'll see you later, then."

"See you." And with that, Rima was out the door and heading to her favorite bench. The bench, while not particularly noteworthy, was placed within the Night Dorm grounds and out of reach of the Day Class. Rima did not want to risk drawing the attention of any humans, particularly the lovestruck boys who followed her like a religion, and besides, she enjoyed the quiet and the wintry air there. At least, it was a welcome respite from Ruka's suffocating stench.

Once settled, she flipped open the play she had chosen and began to read. This particular work followed the escape of a female fugitive who had been condemned to death for killing a soldier in self-defense. The story itself was tragic and fast-paced, but Rima felt a particular connection to the protagonist. They might share the same fate one day, fleeing from judgment and persecution... If Rima did indeed enter the acting industry and her true nature was revealed, the humans might hunt her to the ends of the earth, after all... Perhaps this attempt towards coexistence at the academy wasn't so pointless, after all.

She could imagine herself there with the protagonist now, on the old dusty road, ducking into trees, the rocks digging into her bare, bloody feet. There were only stage directions and dialogue, but she could still imagine the branches snagging her cloak and unruly, curly hair, and slashing open gashes on her cheeks and hands as she franticly shoved them aside. Those branches snapped loudly underfoot, betraying her to the dusk, but she could not stop. To stop meant capture, meant death, meant the end of everything. And she was not ready for it all to end in such an abrupt, cruel manner.

 _"This way!" a voice shouted, too near for comfort, and with a rush of instinct she hurriedly pulled herself up into the lower branches of a tree, climbing high and out of sight as the dusk began to dip towards night. There, overhead, she might avoid detection. If she could last the night, perhaps when the sun rose the morning would grant her a second chance._

 _In the distance, she heard the crash of the underbrush, ever-nearing. Trembling and weary, she clung to the trunk of the tree, resting her head against its rough bark and relishing the ability to at last pull air into her tortured lungs. If only they would let her be... She hadn't done anything wrong. If she hadn't killed the soldier, he would have killed her instead. Or worse..._

 _"Over here! I thought I saw-"_

A weight settled on the bench beside her, followed by the subtle scent of rain, and Rima was jolted from both her thoughts and her book. She glanced at her colleague, who murmured a brief, "Hello," and then said nothing more. Rima pursed her lips. She detested being torn from reading. _Go away,_ she thought, ignoring him as she attempted to reenter the narrative.

"That's a play," he observed, shifting closer to read over her shoulder. His burgundy hair brushed against her ear and she shot him an annoyed look, leaning ever so slightly away. First, he had barely spoken to her. Now, he was invading her personal space. The man was an utter mystery...an irritating one.

"Yes," she answered, hoping that he would lose interest.

Instead he grew contemplative. "Hmm... You really love acting, huh?"

One eyebrow raised a centimeter. She was surprised he remembered that. "Yes... That was my dream when I was little."

"And now?" he inquired.

"Now, too," she admitted.

Although for now she had set aside that particular aspiration, she couldn't deny that it drew her as modeling never had. The 3D vibrancy of acting attracted her in ways a photograph simply couldn't. She was fascinated by actors who were able to immerse themselves in a role and transform their entire persona so completely. Imagining how she would portray the characters in the plays she read was one of her favorite pastimes, and also part of the reason she was so frustrated with Shiki's presence at the moment, in spite of the fact that she knew she should take advantage of his sudden interest in conversation. But then again, ever since the classroom conversation she had shared with him and Ichijou, these bouts of chattiness had been happening a little more frequently lately, and she had just been in the middle of a very elaborate fantasy. She supposed Shiki was one of those introverted types who needed to feel comfortable with someone before initiating any conversation. Even though they'd been working together for weeks now...

"It's different than modeling," he commented vaguely.

Vexed, she asked, "What's Ichijou-kun doing right now?" _Go bother him..._

"I don't know," he replied, oblivious to her hint.

She sighed, making a note of the page she was on and shutting the book. Really, why wasn't he with Ichijou? Those two were inseparable, it seemed, except when there was a photo shoot or interview. Then, by default, Shiki was with her instead. For him to choose her company voluntarily seemed...strange.

"Why did you decide to join the Night Class?" she questioned, abruptly interested.

She should have anticipated his answer: "Because Ichijou-kun asked me."

"That's it?" Was that actually the entire reason? Or, was there something else? Something, perhaps, that had to do with his mother? When he didn't answer or elaborate, however, she changed tactics. "Well, what do you think of it?"

A deadpan rise and fall of the shoulders. "It's fine."

Eyes sparking with exasperated electricity, she pressed, "Do you like it or not?"

Grey orbs flicked over to meet hers for a brief interval and then fled again, watching a tawny bird as it hopped along the lawn. "I guess...I like it," he said at last.

Finally, a satisfactory reply. Her lips nudged upwards, not quite a smile. "Yeah. I guess I do, too."

"Even sharing a room with Ruka-san?" he asked and her mouth completed its upward curvature into a small smile.

"Ha. Yeah. Ruka-san is..."

"Tiring," he supplied.

"Exactly," she agreed.

"She smells like a florist...on steroids," he remarked.

"It's unbearable," Rima grimaced, pleased that she wasn't the only one who had noticed Ruka's particularly...pungent blood. "But I've smelled worse...Aidou-san, for one..."

"Not all of the Night Class is so bad, though..."

He paused, trailing off, and she told herself she wasn't at all curious whose scents he _did_ like. She absolutely didn't care. Why should she...? She had no reason to. Yet...why did Senri Shiki keep picking at the edges of her indifference in this irritating manner? It didn't help that his own scent was...rather tempting... Beyond aggravated now, she tugged out the box of chocolate pocky and munched angrily on a stick. It was ironic and ridiculous that she might be attracted to his blood when his personality was so unappealing. How could someone be so physically alluring while at the same time so entirely, otherwise bland? It was enough to drive her insane.

"I'm hungry...," he murmured, and she begrudgingly passed him a stick of pocky. Of course. He wouldn't eat the smallest crumb if he had to feed himself. But the moment she had something, then he wanted it. Was this a ploy, some evil plot Ichijou had hatched to mess with her? If it was, it was sadly working. She was thoroughly frustrated.

"You really need to eat more," she muttered.

One of his characteristic, impassive shrugs.

"That's why you're hungry."

"I know."

"If you know...then why...?" She stared at him, uncomprehending.

"I don't want it... Food..." He leaned back, gazing upwards at the sky, and she imagined his eyes only reflected the clouds floating above. Only the dim grey of dusk. Nothing more. Not a hint of blue.

She shook her head. Shiki was unfathomable. "At least take your tablets," she advised.

"I am," he assured her, and she reluctantly accepted that such mediocre nutrition would have to be acceptable.

Her coworker quieted now, and she gave him a second cookie, opening her book to the appropriate page. As she immersed herself back into the role, Rima decided that, while poorly timed today, Shiki's company wasn't terrible. He sat beside her without further comment, reading idly over her shoulder, and she found his presence soothing. At least with her coworker, nothing was expected of her. Well, nothing apart from the occasional stick of pocky he demanded by nudging her with his shoulder.

Normally Rima preferred solitude, but the evening transitioned tranquilly into night, and she discovered that they had passed over an hour together in companionable silence. For Rima, who valued her privacy and time alone, this was an unheard of occurrence. She stood, stretching out stiff muscles, and rather than escape her coworker's company, said, "Let's go."

She hadn't told him where or why, but somehow she enjoyed the easy way he fell into step beside her.

* * *

Senri rolled over in bed, hugging one of his pillows to his chest as he contemplated a nap. It was after midnight and he was fatigued by Ichijou gushing over some manga or the other. The vice president had seemed surprised when the model had finally returned to the dorm room, but didn't voice his questions aloud. To a vampire, his whereabouts should have been obvious, since Rima's faint perfume clung to his clothes. And while Ichijou was certainly his best, if not only, friend, he honestly found Rima's company to be less stressful. He hadn't intended to spend the evening with her, but unconsciously he had been drawn in by the maddening scent of dahlias, and he'd stayed there like an addict, content and relaxed. Ducking his head down, he could still catch her scent on him, and he pushed it heavily from his lungs like smoke.

"I read your interview in the magazine the other day. Seems like you let Rima-chan do most of the talking," Ichijou chuckled.

Right, the interview. That had already come and gone and passed entirely from his memory. Senri shrugged. Yeah, he had. The questions had been repetitive and boring anyway, and just because he was a model didn't mean everyone was entitled to know everything about him.

"How is work going, now that you're partnered with Rima-chan?" the vice president asked casually.

The mahogany-haired vampire shrugged a second time. "Fine."

"Just fine?"

Slightly annoyed, the model added a few synonyms for good measure, "Fine, good, no problems."

"If you prefer, I'm sure it'd be possible for you to work alone again..." the blond trailed off.

"No." He shook his head, eyes half closed as he studied the ceiling. "Don't wanna."

Ichijou smiled faintly. "Well, that's a good sign, coming from you."

"I don't like humans," he murmured, thinking back to all the humans he'd worked with in the past. They had all been varying degrees of irritating, and their scents had always caused him discomfort, because while they ignited his hunger, they also smelled unappetizing. Rima, on the other hand... He closed his eyes for a moment, picking up the traces of her scent that remained, nose recollecting the subtle but captivating perfume of her blood when she was beside him in person. Rima caused him discomfort, too, but her scent was comforting and appealing. The distinctive aroma of her blood itched at his fangs even when it was only a memory, even when she wasn't around.

"I like Rima-chan," he continued disinterestedly after a moment. "She smells nice."

The vice president straightened, staring at him. "What...really?"

Senri's eyes flicked to the blond vampire now with exasperation, unaware of the glimmer of scarlet that his friend found there. "Yes, really. Just because you smell bad doesn't mean everyone does."

"Shiki-kun, that's very, very mean of you to say," Ichijou chastised, but there was a strange smile pulling at his lips, and he turned quite suddenly to adjust his pillows for no apparent reason. Senri suspected he might be laughing or at the very least covering amusement, but the model wasn't sure what his roommate was so entertained by.

"Ah... I feel lonely...," the blond said.

What was Ichijou on about now...? "You're weird," Senri muttered.

"In other news," the vice president declared abruptly, turning back to face the model now. "My favorite holiday is approaching."

"Which..?" Whatever it was, if the blond liked it, Senri almost assuredly didn't.

"Valentine's Day, of course!"

"Great."

The sarcasm wasn't lost on Ichijou, who chuckled and asked, "You don't want any chocolate?"

The model grew pensive for a moment, thinking. His eyes drifted back to the ceiling, where he lazily traced the patterns and swirls in the dried paint. Chocolate... Before, he might have utterly dismissed the notion of receiving the sweet, but now... Now, chocolate brought memories of afternoons together with Rima in the studio and nights in class where her snacks were destined for him alone. Somehow, the treat had become associated with his coworker and her delicate scent. Although, he would probably eat anything that had touched her fingertips, anything on which that perfume of dahlias lingered...

"If it's from Rima-chan, I'll eat it," he murmured at last.

The vice president's shocked reaction wasn't lost on him.

"Ichijou-kun... We are vampires, you know?" Senri lifted an eyebrow. "You barely qualify...but it's natural for us to prefer the scents of some to others."

"Yes, but you've never..."

"Rima-chan is unique."

"Yes, she is," the blond agreed quietly. Then, "Are you sure it's okay to call her Rima-chan so casually?"

"Huh?" He glanced at the vice president in confusion. He couldn't explain why, but even from the first moment he'd met her, in his head Rima was just...Rima. For some reason, he didn't feel like any title belonged with her name, although he tacked on the chan anyway. "You call her the same way," he pointed out.

Ichijou shook his head. "I've known her for years. If she hears you call her that, she might get mad."

"Ah...I don't mind."

"Shiki-kun..." An exasperated laugh. Then, "You don't find Rima-chan a little prickly at times?"

Prickly? Yes, perhaps... Her aura pricked at his skin, her blood at his throat, her words at his ears, but... from the weeks he'd spent working with her, he thought that was Rima, a creature of electricity and wildflowers. He shrugged. "That's her."

The vice president regarded him curiously for a moment before at last remarking, "I wasn't sure, when you first told me who you'd be partnered with, but...it seems like the two of you are unexpectedly compatible."

Senri shut his eyes, relaxing against the bed, intent on ending the conversation. He just wanted to rest... Ichijou was right, though...unexpectedly, he did get along with Rima rather well...

* * *

 **AN:** I'm thinking...if in this universe vampires can naturally like certain scents (of blood), then Shiki saying Rima smelled nice would be a red flag for Ichijou XD. Like, he'd know Shiki has a "crush" on Rima, even if it's only her scent at the moment. Idk, just my thoughts.

As always, review!


	6. Chapter 6

**AN:** Hello and welcome to Shiki's least favorite holiday, Valentine's Day! Will Shiki get chocolate from Rima? Read on to find out!

* * *

T-minus a few days. Rima sighed, adjusting one of her hair ribbons as she walked back to the Night Dorm from her early evening stroll. All too soon, she would pass through a bombardment of chocolate the dorm would never be rid of. Worse, the screams of fangirls would forever haunt her dreams. It was amazing how quickly she had tired of her own fanclub, although it was really nothing in comparison to the clubs that most the male members of the Night Class had gathered. Like Hanabusa Aidou. She shuddered. He might be handsome, but his fanclub was the scariest of all. Those girls were fanatical.

Far sooner than she had expected, she heard the cacophony of hormonal teenage voices squealing. Her brows clamped down against her eyes. A pair of earmuffs might be a worthwhile investment, albeit in poor taste fashion-wise. Still, it _was_ winter, so maybe they wouldn't be drastically out of place... As she rounded the corner and approached the gates to the Night Class, however, she was surprised to see that it was Shiki who had been accosted.

"Shiki-sama, would you prefer red or blue wrappers for your chocolate?" one of the girls asked gleefully, obviously beside herself to be in his presence.

Almost against her will, Rima felt herself slowing down her pace. She told herself she wasn't really interested in anything her modeling partner had to say, but rather just wanted to see how this situation would play out for her general entertainment. Though really, she was more than a little interested...

"Ah... I don't really like chocolate..." Shiki-kun responded in a murmur. She raised an eyebrow at him, although he knew he couldn't see. Her hand moved to the box of pocky she had squirreled away in her jacket pocket. For someone who didn't like chocolate, he certainly consumed a fair amount of chocolate pocky, now that she had started sharing it with him periodically throughout the day. Or, then again... She frowned at him. Did he only eat it because she gave it to him? A mindless acceptance, once more...?

This was followed by immediate chaos and desperation. "Then what _would_ Shiki-sama like for Valentine's Day?!" one of the fangirls begged.

"I don't particularly like sweets..." he repeated, clearly trying to disengage himself from his fans as he looked longingly towards the Night Dorm.

"We have to give you something!" one of them cried in despair.

"That's not necessary," he insisted.

"Shiki-sama-" came the immediate response.

"I don't especially want anything," he interjected emotionlessly. His attempt to crush their spirits, however, only inflamed their interest, as they immediately started praising him for his humility.

Rima wondered if all human girls were so pitiable. As an act of charity, however, as she passed through the gates and called out, "C'mon Shiki-san. We're late."

Immediately, he brushed off his fans remorselessly and headed towards her. "I'm late," was his sorry excuse, as he fell into stride beside her. She viewed him suspiciously out of the corner of her eye as she withdrew a piece of pocky, notably of the chocolate variety, and passed it to him. As expected, he took it wordlessly and bit off the end, chewing slowly.

"Hmm, you really don't like chocolate, do you?" her question was laced with sarcasm.

He shrugged. "I neither like nor dislike it."

The familiar waves of irritation began to wash over her. Next he was going to say he neither liked nor disliked something as intrinsically vampiric as drinking blood. On the steps of the Night Dorm she stopped suddenly, turning to demand, "Then why eat it at all?"

He shrugged again, disinterested. She could feel her foot beginning to tap again with impatience. How did one person have so few opinions about anything at all? No, worse, how did one person manage to glide through life without any personality? It was infuriating. Beyond infuriating, because she suspected there was someone buried deep down behind those slate-grey eyes. She had caught glimpses of him, yet... It bordered on the impossible to dig him out from beneath all that grey.

"Do you want anything for Valentine's Day then?" She regarded him sourly. All the other members of the Night Class seemed to find a use for the gifts their fans gave them. Even if the use was, in Akatsuki Kain's case, regifting them to Ruka Souen.

"Hmm..." to her surprise, he actually seemed to give this question the appropriate level of thought. Then, even more shockingly, came his response, "I want a chocolate from you."

What?

She couldn't remember silence ever having been so very loud. She must have gone into another dimension for a moment. There was no way she had just heard what her brain had just registered. She blinked, shaking her head. She needed sleep. She was beginning to imagine things.

"You want what?" She needed to verify that she wasn't going insane. Or that she hadn't momentarily fallen asleep.

Completely serious, he answered, "Chocolate from you."

This time, she almost felt like laughing. This had to be a joke. A very strange joke to which she couldn't even begin to guess at the punch line.

"I don't give out chocolates," she told him. It was true. Chocolate took so much time to prepare or buy, and she would have to give them to everyone. It was far too troublesome. There was only one person she gave chocolate too every year.

"You're giving some to Ichijou-kun," he stated on cue.

She narrowed her eyes at him. "Ichijou-kun is an old friend of mine and of my family; he's special."

"He doesn't need all of it," the mahogany-haired vampire muttered.

"And you don't need any of it. You don't even like chocolate, remember?" She rolled her eyes, opening the door and marching into the dorm.

"I don't dislike it..." was his feeble reply.

She shook her head, ignoring him and moving up the stairs. He wanted chocolate from her? Why? They barely knew one another, and the only person she had ever given chocolate to was her oldest and dearest friend. She wasn't going to waste chocolate on someone who wouldn't have known the difference if she'd given him glue to eat.

As a matter of fact, why did she give him anything to eat at all? Somehow, she felt a trace more annoyed. She had to stop bothering with Senri Shiki. And she determined she would. After today, she wasn't going to waste another thought on him. Not even one.

* * *

Dusk settled heavily over the sky, a dusty twilight that cast the world with a purple hue. Senri sighed tiredly, gazing out over the pathway where the Day Class girls had lined up, eager to gift their homemade chocolates to their favorite member of the Night Class. It was a drag, and made even more so because he knew at the end of the evening he wouldn't have any chocolate from the only female he bothered with. With a subdued glance at Rima, he could feel the imminent disappointment her cool, composed face promised. She, unlike him, could roam the campus unhindered today. She would have to endure the incessant screaming of the fangirls, but the chocolates were destined for male members of the Night Class. For now, she was spared.

"Okay, okay, okay, get in line, get in line!" The childish, rather annoying, although delicious-smelling guardian of the Day Class, Yuki Cross, was shouting. It didn't matter that her father was the Chairman or that she had a special weapon to defend against vampires. She was too boisterous. He wanted to shut his ears off.

From the pathway, the excited cries of fangirls made him blanch, even as Aidou said, "Whoa, this year all the girls are going into hysterics. This is so cool!"

The blond's redhead cousin, Akatsuki Kain, yawned. "I'm still sleepy..."

"I'm wide awake!" Aidou declared avidly.

Senri ignored him, eyes tracing Rima's pockets. He knew she kept a box of pocky in her jacket. But, there seemed to be something in the pocket of her skirt, as well... Chocolate? His gaze darted to Ichijou now. Whatever chocolate she possessed, it was destined for the blond vice president. A bitter taste welled against the back of his tongue. Jealousy? He was surprised in spite of himself. It wasn't like him to be jealous... Besides, he didn't care about this human holiday, nor did he especially like chocolate. Yet... Maybe he did like the flavor of pocky... Maybe, too, he actually kind of liked Rima's subtle but distinctive scent... Maybe he was feeling just a little bit...slightly…

 _Jealous._

He shook his head, stepping carefully back towards apathy. He felt nothing. But for a fleeting moment, he had started to think something like, ' _Rima's_ my _colleague_ _...'_ He shuddered. If he followed that trail of thought to its conclusion, it sounded almost possessive, almost like... His chest was suddenly feeling tight, panicked. He must eliminate such thoughts, because they brought him closer to his father and to the destruction of his mother's last sane wish that he remain her doll. Yet, it wasn't that he didn't feel emotion, but rather that he muffled his emotions down to their most basic, small parts. It was one of the few things that helped his mother cling to the last vestiges of her sanity.

When at last his senses cleared from a moment of disquieting confusion, he heard the Cross girl explaining, "Okay, welcome to the traditional Valentine's Day, 'Who is the Lucky Winner of the Day Class Girls' chocolate?' line-up race! All the members of the Night Class are to walk to their individually assigned gates. Once in position, the girls will line up to give you their chocolates. Please remain calm and cooperate with one another. Understood? I would like everyone to keep in mind that this is not a game. It means a lot to the girls, so take it seriously!"

Senri brushed off a leaf that clung to the edge of his jacket. Take it seriously, huh...? He didn't have any interest in the undesired, shallow feelings of these mindless girls. He had mentioned he didn't want chocolate, even though in a sense that had been a lie. After all...if it came from Rima... He shut his eyes, banishing these thoughts once more. It wasn't even chocolate precisely he wanted from her. Just something that he could digest that was infused with her scent, because against his will he felt himself drawn to it. He couldn't explain it at all.

"They're mine, all mine!" Aidou exclaimed gleefully, rushing towards his gate as the girls cried, "Yay! Our idol! Please accept our chocolates!"

"Aidou." Kaname-sama's voice stopped the blond vampire in his tracks as though he'd been stricken. "Remember to mind your manners. Understand?"

"Yes, Dorm Leader," came the immediate, passive reply, as the aristocrat notably slowed his pace and greeted the Day Class students more casually.

"This is moronic," Senri mumbled beneath his breath, feeling overly troubled by the entire event.

"Just do it anyway," Kain advised, though it was apparent the redhead shared his feelings.

Rima spared him a glance at his comment, and he wasn't sure, but he thought her lips might have risen into a slight smirk. Then she was worming her way through the procession, walking through the crowd unharrassed. For a moment, he almost followed her. But, it seemed such a waste to leave all of the chocolates especially prepared for him… Even if he didn´t particularly care for them or for the shallow human girls who had prepared them.

He supposed he'd have to resign himself to his fate.

* * *

Rima was grateful that she didn't have to suffer through the torment of Valentine's Day. Instead, she had quietly finished another novel and wandered the academy paths without interference, since so many students were busy with the holiday chaos. It was a pleasant change of pace, although somewhere along the way she had acquired a second shadow. A familiar, mahogany-haired shadow that trailed along behind her as she explored the sprawling campus and eventually began working her way back towards the Night Dorm.

Finally, just outside the dorm gates, Rima sighed. "Why are you following me...?" She came to a stop in the middle of the path, turning towards her second, very corporeal shadow to regard him curiously. "Shouldn't you be celebrating with the others?" She glanced pointedly at the nearby building.

His gaze was unapologetic as he gave her a vague shrug. "I'm not interested in that."

Her brow furrowed in confusion. "But why are you following me...?"

"I'm waiting," he responded cryptically.

She narrowed her eyes at him now, "Waiting for what?"

"A chocolate," he told her serenely.

"I don't have any chocolate to give you."

He glanced at her pocket, which was bulging slightly from the bag of candy she had prepared for Ichijou.

"This is for Ichijou-kun," she explained.

Those grey eyes fell, and she thought she caught a glimpse of some emotion in his face: disappointment. Then, he looked back up at her, holding her gaze earnestly as he murmured softly, "Please?" His eyes remained locked with hers. And for a moment, if only a moment, she thought that his eyes were no longer slate grey, but rather blue. A kind of soothing, rainy blue that seemed to soak directly into her skin. In that moment, the strange appeal he held to the Day Class girls didn't seem so strange after all.

She flushed suddenly, even as she wasn't sure why. "...Fine," she huffed, ducking her head to hide her face as she fished inside her pocket for a candy.

Retrieving a chocolate from the bag, she stepped forward and placed it into his hand before quickly turning away and continuing down the path without another word. Her face burned hotly in the chill February air, and she felt uncharacteristically flustered.

What kind of reaction was this? She attempted to regain her composure, though her cheeks still felt slightly heated. Nevertheless... Perhaps she had thought, only for a tiny fraction of a second, that Senri Shiki was actually pretty cute, after all...

* * *

 **AN:** Plot twist: the chocolate is poison and- jk jk. I hope that wasn't too lame teehee... As always, review!


	7. Chapter 7

**AN:** Heh heh... for some reason I'm still so nervous over this fic and keeping Shima in character -sweatdrop-. I hope you like this chapter!

* * *

The sunset dripped through the thin fracture line between the blackout curtains, dropping into a puddle of orange light that pooled at the bottom of her dresser. Rima squinted one eye open, twitching her fingers and toes sleepily as she yawned. Across the room, Ruka's bed was already empty, the blankets disheveled and the pillows shoved unceremoniously to one side, an unfortunate symptom of a violent sleeper. Rima cuddled down against her pillow for another moment before sitting up and stretching. The silence curled around her limbs deliciously. The one benefit to having Ruka as her roommate was that the other vampire was an early riser, which left Rima to wake up at her own pace, in peace.

The "morning" process was sluggish, each moment savored to its fullest. A hot shower. The minty taste of her toothpaste. The brush running through her hair. Tying her pigtails up with her signature ribbons. When these steps were finished, she finally sauntered down to the dining room at her leisure, where she chose a fluffy croissant with butter and jam and a cup of vanilla coffee from the buffet the servants had laid out for the evening. Sitting alone beside the window, she stirred her coffee, enjoying the streams of light that swirled around with the contents of her cup. It was aesthetic, as though she were going to imbibe the sunset itself. She drank up the fading golden rays, breaking off morsels of her croissant between sips, and felt utterly relaxed.

This was the type of unrushed lifestyle she preferred. Vampires lived such a very long time, after all. Centuries and centuries...it was enough time for her to succumb to boredom. She was still very young, one of the youngest here in the Night Class, and that long procession of time was intimidating. Eventually, if she wasn't careful, all of the days would accumulate and the seasons pile up until she wore a jaded husk of dusty time and disuse. She had to cultivate her time, to be her own center of gravity, to enrich her life with color and saturate her senses, so that it did not devolve into utter monotony. No... Let those like Hanabusa Aidou rush headlong, full speed ahead, into the future. She would remain behind, at a stroll, and absorb the pleasures of this world one by one.

Licking the last of the coffee instilled with liquid sun from where it had stained her fingertips, Rima stood, heading towards the common room. How dull it would be to live like Shiki, entombed in practiced disinterest, disconnected from everything. She imagined the centuries of comatose boredom...and a shiver chased down her spine. For her, such a thought was horrifying. But, as she reminded herself once again, perhaps for the millionth time, she shouldn't worry about her partner.

Still, when she saw Ichijou seated alone on the sofa she couldn't help but wonder where his monochrome shadow was. It was strange to see Ichijou without Shiki or the pureblood Kaname. She didn´t think the green-eyed vampire liked being alone. And sure enough, the moment she entered the room he approached her, joining her easily as she exited the building and headed to class. Briefly, she considered retrieving her notebook from her room, but just as quickly dismissed the notion. She had no interest in taking notes and currently no ideas of clothing to sketch.

"No work today?" the vice president asked, since twice last week she´d arrived late to class after a shoot.

She shook her head, biting back her comment that he should already know the answer, since he was attached at the hip to the mahogany-haired model. Shiki worked the same schedule she did, since the staff thought they complimented one another so well in photos. To be honest, she was almost glad that she no longer had to work with many humans. Sometimes, their behavior and smell grated on her. This way, too, she didn´t have to worry about being discovered as a vampire.

"Are you and Shiki-kun getting along?" Ichijou inquired then. "Sometimes I worry about him... Maybe I shouldn´t, but to me Shiki-kun is family. He´s an honorary Ichijou."

Exasperated with the choice of conversation topic, she answered blandly, "I guess."

That wasn't precisely true, not anymore, but she didn't know how to describe it. Gradually, the monotonous grey that was Senri Shiki was transforming into something almost...blue. Almost. It was a faint hue, as ethereal and uncertain as dusk, yet it was there. And in that blue, she noticed that slowly they were growing more comfortable around one another. Slowly, she was beginning to discover more and more things about him, except when she touched on the subject of his mother. Then, it was as if a switch had been flicked off, and she understood better why he had been so unresponsive to her at first. They were still not-quite-friends, but if she was being honest, she thought his presence was relaxing and easy. There was no need for conversation with him, no need for pretenses. Yet... She still would not say they were friends. They were coworkers. Acquaintances. But not friends.

"He doesn´t say much," Rima admitted at last.

Ichijou smiled. "No, but you´ve already made progress with him faster than I did. I´m actually a little envious."

She raised an eyebrow, unable to discard the murmur of curiosity.

"It´s true," the vice president admitted. "Shiki-kun´s family has always had a close relationship with my grandfather and the Council. I´ve known him since childhood, but it took months or…maybe years for him to accept me."

"Ask me again in a few years how we´re getting along, then…" she muttered.

"I´m serious, though…" To her surprise, the blond sobered for a moment, expression distant. Then, just as quickly, his smile snapped back in place as he offered, "Shall we sit together today?"

"Sure," she agreed easily.

Their conversation was disrupted as she detected a distinct presence coming from the trees to her left, and she veered off abruptly from the path. Ichijou followed her, frowning as he, too, picked up on the presence. In a moment, she saw Zero Kiryuu, the second guardian and prefect of the academy, standing with his gun aimed directly at Hanabusa Aidou. Around the pair scattered more members of the Night Class, including Ruka Souen, Akatsuki Kain, and oddly enough, Shiki. Rima and Ichijou stopped beside the mahogany-haired model, assessing the situation.

"If Kaname-sama finds out about this, he'll be furious," the redhead was reasoning. "Kiryuu, you should put that away, too, okay?" Akatsuki consoled in an even, logical voice, approaching the guardian cautiously as one would an injured wild animal.

Ignoring his tone, Kiryuu grabbed the redhead and threw him to the ground, swiftly turning the gun on the fallen vampire as though he expected an attack at any moment. Silver eyebrows traced lines of thunderous fury across the hunter´s brow. Rima knew the Level E was unstable, but she had never realized just how unstable and irrational he was until this very moment. Perhaps his sanity was diminishing more quickly than anyone had guessed.

"That was so uncool," Rima commented to Kain, who was still sprawled on the ground. As a vampire of the Night Class, she could hardly believe that a mere ex-human had overpowered the redhead.

"Shut up," Kain muttered.

"So Kaname Kuran is the reason why you've suddenly all decided to gang up and take me down?" Kiryuu demanded, seeming to entirely misunderstand the situation. At least for Rima, she´d only investigated the situation out of mild curiosity. "I'd like to see you try, vampires. I've been waiting for a chance like this." A twisted grin overtook the hunter´s face.

No sooner had the words left his mouth than a small shape launched itself into the middle of the group, and a high-pitched voice announced, "Stop right there! No fighting allowed! Didn't you read the student handbook?" Yuki Cross brandished the anti-vampire staff she had been given as a guardian. "Regardless of whether it's Zero or a student from the Night Class who's trying to pick a fight, as a prefect I simply won't allow it!"

"Look, can't we just drop this already?" Kain asked tiredly, on his feet now.

Ruka stared at the small human girl in annoyance before huffing, "Fine. It's not worth it anyway. Let's go back to class." Immediately, the Night Class began to disperse, along with the guardians in the opposite direction. The petite girl's abrupt and unwelcome appearance had effectively mollified the situation, it seemed.

"We're going to be late..." Rima commented dryly to no one in particular as she watched the others disappear around the corner, Ichijou with them. At the same time, the Cross girl drug her silver-haired partner off in the opposite direction.

Approaching her, Shiki sighed. "I'd rather return to the dorm to sleep..."

The blond model couldn't help but share his sentiments. A nap would be nice… But, they had to attend class, and with their modeling schedules neither one of them could really afford to miss a day without risking the wrath of the pureblood.

"What was going on with the prefect?" she asked instead.

Her partner shrugged. "Aidou-san approached another Day Class girl. Kiryuu was interfering like he´s supposed to, so…"

Somehow, the blond wasn´t surprised to hear this. Aidou chased after at least one Day Class girl per night. It was rapidly becoming old news. So, changing course for the third time, Rima informed him, "Ichijou-kun was lonely without you in the dorm." As soon as she´d uttered the words, she regretted them. Those words could be so easily misconstrued… Even though, truthfully, she was starting to like having him around…despite the constant rasp of hunger his scent coaxed to life whenever they were together. Like now… Her gaze flicked away from him, intent on finding a distraction elsewhere.

"Ah…" A pause. Then, "I was waiting for you."

She blinked. "Where?"

"At the bench… The one you´ve been reading at before class…."

Why was he waiting for her? She wanted to ask, but instead stated, "I was sleeping..."

"Oh..."

When he didn't add anything else, she gestured that they should head for class and her coworker immediately fell into step beside her. Swallowing the questions that swarmed on the tip of her tongue, the blond vampire informed him, "We have another shoot coming up. I don't know if they told you yet..."

A shrug. "They haven't. Doesn't matter."

"I prefer to know in advance," she told him, withdrawing the slender box of pocky from her pocket and handing him a piece in what was increasingly becoming a habit whenever they were together. At least then, she supposed, she knew that he was eating something. Even if he insisted that he neither liked nor disliked chocolate...

Nibbling the stick, he merely answered, "Either way, we still have to do it. It's a drag, sometimes..."

"You don't enjoy modeling?" she asked.

"I..." he trailed off unexpectedly, eyebrows tensing pensively. "...I don't know," he murmured at last.

The familiar frustration and worry lodged tangibly in her throat. How could he not know..? Modeling was his career. She didn't understand. She thought she might never understand. He was washing out again, bleaching into static grey.

Before she could reply, however, he added, "Before...maybe...I didn't like it. But lately, it's been better...I think..."

Her surprised lips inquired, "...Has it?" Surely, it had nothing to do with her. Such a thought was only wistful thinking, imagining that perhaps there was some hope of friendship.

But he contradicted her assumption. "Yeah, because of you." His tone was even, unruffled, and entirely honest. He tilted his head to one side, considering. Then, "I don't like the smell of most humans."

A laugh escaped her. Shiki was entirely unpredictable at times. Shaking her head, she limited herself to saying, "Me neither."

An odd kind of happiness was suffusing through her veins. Maybe she was too harsh on Shiki. Little by little, they were able to talk like this, after all. Little by little, the grey in his eyes was sharpening, brightening, shifting like the clouds just after a storm had passed. Despite their dreary, dark tones, they promised blue. That promise alone had already exceeded her expectations of the burgundy-haired model.

Their current thread of conversation was interrupted, however, as they approached and entered the building where their class was held. Directly opposite the door, a flier tacked to the bulletin board caught Rima's attention. The flier, printed in bold ink on yellow paper, announced auditions for the spring semester play. It was probable that no Night Class members participated in theater here at the academy, but...even so, the idea of a play, even a small school one, was tempting. A chance to practice acting wouldn't be so bad, even if she'd be surrounded by members of the Day Class.

"Are you going to try out?" Shiki's soft voice interrupted her thoughts, and she realized she had slowed, lingering over the flier.

She shook her head. "No," she negated. She really shouldn't...

"Why not? You said you always wanted to be an actress..."

Her father's face swam into focus before her, and she heard him advise, _"The most difficult thing about being a vampire is that you can't allow humans to realize your lifespan is many times longer than theirs. Most of the general population don't know we exist. If our true selves are discovered, it's possible we'll be hunted to the ends of the earth by a mob of humans. That's why it's best we remain out of the public eye."_

Her parents had permitted her to come here and attend school, though she knew they didn't approve and that they might retract their grudging approval at any time. They had allowed her to model because magazine photographs weren't as well preserved as films, and as long as she didn't appear in a commercial, they tolerated her choice of career. However, they had fiercely rejected even the merest suggestion of acting. If she were to audition for the school play, they might not take it well... With or without her parents' consent, Rima fully intended to act in the future, but before that she might as well build some credit in her favor by remaining in their comfort zone.

At last, she said, "Yes... Someday, I will. For now, my parents are still very resistant to the idea." She hesitated, unsure whether or not to continue, and then decided it didn't matter. Her family life wasn't any great secret. "My father especially warns me to conceal myself and if not...to sleep for a few decades and wait for an era where no one knows me. That, or marry, settle down in a remote location, and live quietly. According to him, it's my duty to not remain in the memories of humankind, but..." She shrugged. "Both those options seem so boring, honestly."

Shiki stopped in the hallway now, a thoughtful expression ghosting across his features like the wisps of half-formed clouds.

"What?" she asked, unable to restrain her curiosity.

"Nothing...," he murmured. "It's just the opposite... Mother always wanted me to become a model..." Rima didn't miss the sudden change of tone with the mention of Hana Shiki. He paused. Then, slowly, "The truth is...the reason I didn't like modeling... It was lonely sometimes. Ichijou-kun was never interested in it. But now suddenly there's you." For the first time that she had seen, his lips lifted upwards into a rare smile.

And quite abruptly, his eyes were magnetic, vibrant blue.

* * *

 **AN:** How did everyone feel about Shima's appearance in Memories? Personally, I really hated it... It feels like Hino doesn't care about developing Shima at all...or keeping things consistent... -sigh- I heard that Shima is one of the most popular couples in Japan at least...yet...they get no love T_T. -sighs deeply- It's very disappointing!


	8. Chapter 8

Rima smoothed hands down over the flat surface of her stomach, tracing the top of her skirt, and felt a welling of frustration like blood in a new wound. Once again, she had unconsciously chosen blue for her wardrobe. Yesterday, it had been cerulean, today it was teal, and tomorrow she was already eyeing a lavender and cobalt-colored dress. Lately, she had gravitated to blue, every shade of it, and left most of her clothing neglected and pushed against the opposite end of the closet. She especially liked grey-blue, though she couldn't say why. Rather, she didn´t _want_ to say, even when a pair of familiar eyes flashed through her head. She didn't want to think about those eyes now, or ever, because even if their owner had proved to be better company lately, she preferred solitude. Even as a girl, she had relished the scant moments when she was completely alone, standing out in the rain, free of the umbrella she used during the day to protect her perfect, milky white skin. She was happiest like that, with only herself for company, because the bustling rooms of lackluster, unoriginal models and staff members were lonelier than actually being alone. She was her own best friend…maybe her only friend, excepting Ichijou. And that was how she liked it.

At work, whenever she made the mistake of lingering over those grayish eyes, she turned her head away, letting the music and the snap of the camera lens drown out such thoughts. All of her distractions should suffocate and disappear, because they had no place in the studio. Yet they lingered, reminding her like a broken melody again and again of her aching throat and the mysterious, rainy eyes that held her attention whenever she let it stray. Without wanting to be, she was intrigued by him. Intrigued by his disassociation with everyone and everything, intrigued by his apathy, intrigued by his occasional, casual sarcasm. Intrigued, yes, intrigued and compelled by the subtle perfume of rain showers, twilight, and agar…

Rima finished tying up her hair with a teal ribbon and pushed open the door, stepping out into the hall of the dorm. Her eyes flicked down the hall, towards the room Shiki and Ichijou shared, and felt unsettled. That room was sure to be infused with her partner´s scent, along with whispered conversations she could not fathom. Most of what she had originally known about Shiki came from various interviews that she had read. She knew he had chosen to model because of his mother´s encouragement. It was one of the countable facts she had known about him until recently. She knew his birthday, his blood type, his shoe size, his hometown... But those facts were cold, distant pieces of information. And normally, that was all she cared to know about anyone…

With a toss of her pigtails, she descended the staircase to the dorm´s common area. That was still all she cared to know about anyone. Even as she settled down to breakfast and wondered, _Has Shiki eaten today?_

* * *

Senri stared at the melon bread Ichijou had handed him before heading out, fingers toying with the edges of the plastic and listening to the crinkling sound. He should eat it, he knew he should...but as the wrapper opened slightly and the smell wafted out, the hunger drained from his belly. He didn't want it. He wanted pocky. Chocolate. Something, anything else, so long as Rima's scent lingered on it...

Tossing the bread on his dresser, Senri flopped back onto the bed, squeezing his eyes shut and wishing for a distraction. He had already swallowed down a disgusting blood tablet when he'd first woken up, and his tongue still weighed heavily from the chalky texture. Ichijou was gone for at least the next hour or two, Rima would gone for a considerable amount of time to some meeting with their manager, and Senri was left alone and without distraction. With both of his friends gone, he had nothing to do and no one to occupy his tumultuous thoughts with.

He paused. Friend...could he consider Rima that..? ...Should he?

He sighed, adrift in the empty room, and wondered if this was how it started. Left to oneself, bored and hungry, wouldn't one start to spiral downwards into madness? Gradually, everything would seem so unimportant, so pointless. Why brush your hair when you had no one to see? Why eat when you'd continue starving anyway? Why anything at all?

It wasn't like that, though. Not for his mother. He knew without her telling him that his father had been unspeakably cruel to her. He knew she had been driven insane by an unquenchable thirst and an insatiable desire to be loved. That was why she had become an actress in the first place. And when her career and her lover were gone, what was left? Her friends and family had abandoned her eventually, and the only person who remained in her life was him, her son. She'd undoubtedly been terrified that he'd commit the same atrocities to her and to everyone around him. Her wild eyes had screamed at him, and in the end he'd made his promises to appease her. He wouldn't become like Rido.

Senri inhaled slowly, anchoring himself in the present. He didn't care. About anything. Yet he couldn't banish the tiny seed of hurt that rooted itself in his chest. Because, Hana Shiki hadn't been totally forsaken... She'd always had him, from the very first moment he'd come into this world; and she always would, until she crumbled to ash. Only, it seemed that he wasn't enough to live for...

* * *

At last alone and free to do as she pleased, Rima retrieved her sketchpad and lay down on her inviting bed. It was the weekend, but that rarely excused her from some kind of task, whether it be for work or school. Today, she'd gone with her manager to chat with the owner of a new line of handbags. The discussion had been fruitful, and the owner had requested her for several advertisements on the spot. And that was all good, but...she was happy to be back at the dorms and happier still that Ruka was absent. The model had the room all to herself. She would start something new today, she thought, pencil hovering over an empty page in her sketchbook. Glancing down at her outfit, she grimaced. Something new, but something definitively not blue.

What was the opposite of blue, both in color and feeling? Red. She nodded in satisfaction, jotting down the note in the upper right hand corner of the page. Red was fiery, passionate, bold, everything that blue was not. And, also...the color of the subtle highlights of Shiki's hair in the sunlight... Rima stared down at the paper with derision. She couldn't really escape reminders of her colleague. Well, she wouldn't be defeated. The clothes would stay red. And, just to prove she didn't care, she should design something for Shiki, as well. Perhaps they could even use the outfits in an upcoming shoot the agency did every year to show off their models... The staff had told her that she could if she wanted, anyway.

Picking up her pencil, Rima tapped the eraser against the corner of her mouth for a moment before beginning to sketch. If she was going to use this for the shoot, it should display her personality. Companies would be looking at the photos to determine who they wanted to work with, after all. Her tastes ran trendy but tastefully punk, sometimes even darting into a kind of cute, chic gothic when she felt particularly bold. With that in mind, she began the sketch. She would have a top and a skirt, with high socks and platform shoes. Shiki should complement her without overshadowing her, so she kept his design a touch more modest, although utilizing elements from the female outfit to create a cohesive whole.

When at last she was satisfied with the outfit, Rima decided she would take the sketches in during their next shoot so that she could begin working with the staff there to assemble the outfits. She knew her proportions like the back of her hand, which made the process smoother. She paused, frowning. Come to think of it, she hadn't the slightest clue what Shiki's proportions were. Sighing, she flopped over on her back, pressing the sketchbook against her face to muffle a quiet groan of annoyance. She would have to get the staff to look through the files to find those numbers, and that would hold up the process for at least another few days, knowing them...

Almost as though he had read her thoughts, her coworker chose that very moment to pop his head in the door, asking, "Have you seen Ichijou-kun?"

"Ah." She blinked in surprise, immediately discarding the sketchbook to one side and beckoning him to come in. "Shiki-san, I need you. Now."

One eyebrow flicked a centimeter upwards. "Oh?"

"I need to measure you," she clarified.

"Why?" he inquired, edging closer to the bed and eyeing the notepad with a subdued glimmer of interest.

"I'm thinking about designing outfits for the shoot our agency does every spring to promote us. The staff told me I could, so..." He reached out a hand and she passed him the sketch. "What do you think?"

"Hmm." He sat down beside her then, pointing to the male version of the outfit. "It's good, but...make the collar lower here...," he suggested. "And, maybe sunglasses?"

"They have to see your face...," she commented dryly.

"I hate the studio lights," he said, and the corners of her mouth twitched. So that was why. Then, "What if you shortened the jacket here?" He demonstrated by tracing the shape with his finger.

"Hmm, that might work..." She nodded, absorbed in the work, and quickly redid the sketch. "What do you think about making my skirt plaid? Black and white to match the red top? And then black socks and sleeves?"

"Yeah. Or boots."

"That's a possibility..." She drew those to one side of the paper to get a better mental image. She preferred the platform shoes, but boots wouldn't look bad either.

"This should be short sleeves, though." He tapped her shirt.

"You think?"

"Yeah. Try it."

She complied, secretly doubting him, but when she had drawn the last line she discovered that it actually did complement the ensemble far better than the 3/4 sleeves she had originally decided on. "Thanks, it looks much better now," she murmured with surprised gratitude.

"No problem."

Pleased with the final product, Rima stood and told him, "Okay, I need to measure you now." Opening the drawer of her bedside table, she pulled out a measuring tape.

"You keep that in your nightstand..?" She detected amusement in his tone.

"This is one of my hobbies." She shrugged.

"What do I do?" he asked, standing as well.

"Just stand there. Well... I guess you'll have to take off your sweater. It's a little thick to measure through."

A discernible pause, followed by a muttered, "...Fine."

She stared at him in confusion, misunderstanding his response until he discarded the pale yellow garment. Then, her expression transfigured into one of chagrin. "That's all you're wearing," she stated blandly, confronted by his bare torso.

"Seems that way, doesn't it?" he retorted sarcastically.

She sighed before shaking her head and brandishing the measuring tape. "Whatever. It will only take a few minutes."

She said that, but... Involuntarily, her eyes traced the contours of his body, absorbed the flawless lily white of his skin. Somehow, she had always imagined him to be boney and thin. Instead, he was well-proportioned and healthy, slender without being skinny and fit without being very muscular. Drawing out the tape and beginning her careful measurements, her gaze subtly flitted over him. Over his angular collarbone to his wide shoulders. Over his sculpted chest and down along the dipping curve from his ribs to his tapered waist. Over the faint outline against the taut skin of the first and then the second rib. Over his graceful arms accented with blueish veins and out to his elegant fingers. He was a work of art, a rare balance of aesthetics, and Rima felt a twinge of envy. As beautiful as she was, her own body lacked in some ways that Shiki's did not. Her own waist was slightly too narrow, her breasts too small, her frame too short. Because of her own limitations, she could never, for example, model on a runway. Shiki, though...

"Rima-chan. Don't stare. I'll sue for sexual harassment..." His detached voice effectively disrupted her unabashed ogling.

Suddenly flustered, she felt her foot give a little stamp as she declared, "How else am I supposed to do this?"

"Professionally?" he suggested.

He pointedly looked away from her answering glare. Returning to her task and brushing away her previous thoughts, Rima meticulously recorded each number in her book. She did her best to ignore her coworker standing patiently before her, but found him distracting and the scent of his blood particularly enticing, especially with the lamplight bringing out the reddish glints in his hair and his skin left bare and vulnerable and so easily punctured... She frowned, schooling herself coolly in her head. Yes, Shiki was undeniably attractive, but really, the appeal was purely physical. He was so very bland. She shouldn't let herself forget.

"I just need one more," she told him at last. "I'm going to measure your waist now, so put up your arms just a bit."

The burgundy-haired model obliged her obediently, and it was just as she was lining up the end of the tape that a sudden, new scent and a tiny intake of breath froze the model in place. A moment later, she heard Ruka manage, "Y-You should have warned me to come back later!" Rima turned to regard her roommate with exasperation, noting the dark pink flush to the girl's mortified cheeks.

"This isn't what it looks like," Rima informed her, unwinding the tape and jotting down the last number.

"Yeah, it's sexual harassment," Shiki commented dryly, and Rima's eyes momentarily sparked with crackling lightning. She felt a sigh building in her lungs.

"This isn't really allowed, but...I'll go get something to eat just this once," Ruka suggested, rapidly regaining her composure.

"You will stay right here," Rima stated flatly. "I was just taking some measurements."

"Ruka-san has a shocking disregard for the school rules to overlook such a thing...," Shiki murmured noncommittally, and this time the twin pink dots reemerged on the honey-haired woman's face.

Rima's mouth twitched. Admittedly, it was a little funny to see Ruka flustered, but Rima knew that her roommate could change her temperament at the drop of a hat, so the blond vampire interfered, holding up the sketches she had been working on. "What do you think?"

Ruka stepped forward, scanning the pair of trendy, punk outfits. "It definitely suits you," she observed and Rima mentally added for her, _"though I'd never be caught dead wearing it."_ Since her roommate seemed to disapprove, the model deemed the outfits complete. Ruka's style, after all, was almost precisely the opposite of hers.

She turned to her coworker then. "I'll get the staff to help me on Wednesday when we go back for the next shoot. Now that I have the measurements it will go a lot faster." Rima told him. "Thanks for the help."

Shiki nodded, retrieving his sweater from the bed, and it was then that Rima noted Ruka's wandering, lingering gaze. Noted it, and felt a surge of strange, conflicted emotions. For some reason, she felt oddly protective of her colleague and disgruntled by her roommate's appraisal of him. The sensation itched under her skin, flicking the corner of her mouth down into an almost-frown. She disliked it. Disliked the sideways tilt of those brown eyes. But then the woolly material of the sweater was sliding down, shielding the model's body from sight, and Ruka's gaze darted away.

"Guess I'll find Ichijou-kun," Shiki said in an undertone, and Rima thought perhaps he was leaving because Ruka had come back. She couldn't blame him. Her roommate had a much more vibrant and floral aura than either of the models.

"Okay." Rima nodded, replacing her sketchbook in the drawer of her nightstand.

Ruka's eyes slid once more up and down Shiki's form as he passed through the doorway. "Liked what you saw?" Rima asked, voice flat, although there was an acidity steeping on her tongue as she spoke the words.

Her roommate's answer, however, was disturbing. "I was thinking... Shiki-san is Kaname-sama's cousin, isn't he?" the honey-haired vampire mused contemplatively. "They can't be very different, don't you think?"

Rima stared at her roommate in disgust. Ruka was imagining Shiki as _Kaname_? The pureblood? She shivered. How creepy. Abruptly, the protective sentiment was rising up again, and she fought to tamp it down. She hoped Kaname was extra scrawny. Or had a weird mole. Or, something...just as long as it was something that Ruka couldn't defend.

Belatedly, she added a tally to the number of times her roommate had mentioned Kaname Kuran.

"I think they can, actually," she refuted, determined to oppose Ruka's decidedly creepy thought process.

A pause. "You're right... Kaname-sama is perfect, after all..."

A burst of air from her nose nearly became a snort of contempt. Yes, Kaname Kuran was a pureblood and therefore possessed both a beautiful appearance and particularly sweet blood, but that did not make him perfect by any means. Moreover, Rima didn't know what more Ruka could want from the male body unless she preferred muscle, which she didn't because she didn't give Kain the time of day. Shiki was already perfect. Honestly. Ruka was delusional.

"Shiki-san is Shiki-san. And Kaname-sama is Kaname-sama," Rima limited herself to saying.

"Hmm. Well, I am a little curious. There's a rumor going around campus that you and Shiki-san are dating." Ruka's expression was avid for gossip.

"What?" Where did _that_ come from? Sure, she spent a lot of time in Shiki's company, and they worked together, but they had never displayed any romantic behavior.

"Are you?"

"No. Don't be ridiculous," Rima denied. "Where did you hear that?"

"Around," Ruka answered vaguely. "But you _are_ always together." When Rima deigned not to respond, she pressed, "So there's nothing going on? Despite him being with you alone in our room...in a state of undress?"

"No, there isn't," she replied in a clipped voice. Her supply of Ruka-patience was dwindling at an alarming rate.

"It's a shame. You would look good together."

Decidedly annoyed now, she retorted, "I could say the same for you and Kain-san."

Ruka huffed. "Please. You and I both know I only date men of intellect and elegance."

Rima quickly put away her sketchbook to hide her exasperated and slightly mocking expression. Composing her features as she would in the studio, she very carefully turned around and countered, "Be that as it may, you have to admit that Kain-san is very handsome, and at least from an aesthetic point of view, he compliments you." There. Argue with that.

"That's what I'm saying about you and Shiki-san!" Ruka brightened, somehow deciding that Rima was agreeing with her.

 _Wow._ It was official. Ruka definitely needed to date someone intelligent to compensate for her own shortcomings. More than finished with the conversation, Rima retorted, "Well, I suppose that's why we're modeling partners. Anyway, I'll see you later." Without a single apology or excuse, the blond vampire was out the door. And regardless of the circumstances, she didn't want to see or hear about either Shiki or Ruka for the rest of the day.

If only her own thoughts would let her forget him...

* * *

 **AN:** Haha...comedic interlude anyone? I decided to try a little Shima comedy hehe what do you think? Other than that Ruka's a perv!


	9. Chapter 9

The sunlight was abrasive and inescapable. The merciless light half-blinded him, causing him to squinch his eyes in discomfort. It was afternoon and the sun had already reached its pinnacle overhead hours ago, but despite the approaching evening Senri could scarcely see through his watering, raw eyes. Hunched in the shadow against a street lamp, he leaned as far away as he could from the solar onslaught, longingly picturing his dorm room. He hadn't slept very well this morning, and he could feel the fatigue inching up and clouding his brain.

"Shiki-kun, let's go." The vice president´s voice roused him from his half-conscious state. "It went this way."

Sighing, the model followed obediently. Why did he have to accompany Ichijou? There were other vampires, ones better acclimated to hunting Level E´s, that could have done this. Instead, he and his overly cheerful friend had been ordered by none other than Kaname Kuran himself to hunt out the Level E that was running rampant in the town. It was altogether too much of a hassle. He wanted to return to bed and escape the harsh rays of the sun that stabbed needles into his eyes.

"Here, come on," Ichijou urged and he forced his feet onward, rounding a corner. "It's close."

 _Great_ , he thought. The sooner they were finished here, the sooner he could go back to bed.

Veering off into a narrow alley, Senri watched a whir of brown fabric and snarling teeth speed down the road away towards two people, one with the distinct scent of a vampire. Senri thought there was something familiar about their scents... Before he could focus on them, however, the Level E attacked. The action happened too fast for his weary brain to register. Before he could move to defend them, a blur of silver sparkled through the offensive sunlight, and the taller of the two victims was shielding the smaller from the Level E with a long metal staff. Immediately, Ichijou intervened, stepping forward and slashing through the gibbering vampire before them. The Level E's brown-clad form began to dissolve into ash that floated away with the breeze, and as it cleared the model realized that the school prefects were the ones who had been attacked.

"Ah, you're Night Class Ichijou Takuma-senpai and Shiki Senri-senpai...!" Yuki exclaimed. "In this sort of place...?"

"It's finished," Ichijou stated, sheathing his unnecessary blade. Honestly he could have just used his vampiric powers, but for some reason he preferred the steel weapon to his own strength.

"You didn't need me at all..." Senri murmured, peeved. He imagined his lonely pillow and blankets awaiting him back at the dorm…

"Why would you come outside the academy to do this sort of thing?" Yuki asked, stepping forward curiously. As she did so, the soft wind brought with it the scent of blood.

"Yuki-chan, please, quickly go back to the academy and treat your wound. It'll excite our senses." Ichijou admonished. "Our noses are incredibly sensitive you know..."

Eyes tracking the growing blotch of crimson on her sleeve, Senri quickly honed in on the delectable scent. Yet, despite the tempting fragrance that assaulted his nostrils and his own vicious hunger, the model found himself distracted by the memory of electric dahlias, instead… He forced his gaze away from the wound, demanding his fangs to retract before either Ichijou or the guardian noticed. He abruptly felt as though he was starving, yet… It was not Yuki Cross´ blood that tested his control.

"Ah...sorry. Such matters...and this vampire in particular...I guess there are still a mountain of things I don't know about." Yuki covered her injury with a hand in an entirely futile gesture, though it was unlikely she knew that.

"Hmm, in that case, why don't you come to my birthday party?" Ichijou asked easily, and the model shot him a sidelong, aggravated look. Ichijou had a bad habit of throwing lavish and nonsensical celebrations for his birthday, but to invite a human to a vampire celebration seemed like the worst idea the vice president had entertained to date.

"What?" Yuki looked puzzled.

"We're celebrating tonight outside the dorm this evening after class. Drop by and I'll try to answer some of your questions then. If it's under Kaname's supervision, I think it will be okay."

"O-okay," she acquiesced hesitantly.

"Great! I can't wait!" The blond grinned at the prefect and waved brightly before gesturing to Senri to follow as they began to retrace their steps.

"Why did you do that?" Senri demanded once they were safely out of earshot.

"It must be hard for Yuki-chan...that's what I think." The vice president shrugged.

"Hard or not…it´s irresponsible to invite her." He sighed. Of all people, he shouldn´t have to scold Ichijou.

"It will be fun," his friend countered.

"Sure." His tone was laced with sarcasm. "I guess she´ll take the place of your cake this year?"

"Shiki-kun! No one will harm her. At least, not with Kaname watching."

"Sure," he repeated, unconvinced.

Although uneasy by the prospect of having a human attend this evening's celebration, the mahogany-haired vampire quickly forgot his preoccupations with every step that brought him back towards the dorms. His bed was beckoning, singing a lullaby that drowned out every other thought. He idly counted the steps it took to return to campus. He couldn't wait to fall back asleep...

* * *

Rima gazed around the elaborate banquet prepared for Ichijou's birthday. It was all...so very troublesome. Her own birthdays came and went without remark or celebration, and that was how she preferred them. Although, she knew the blond vice president felt entirely the opposite. Swirling her glass of champagne, the model thought longingly of her bed and sketchbook. She wanted to finish the design she'd been working on for a new dress...

"The prefects..." Beside her, Shiki glanced off through the darkened trees. A moment later, she picked up the approaching scents. What were they doing here? Surely Ichijou hadn't been misguided enough to invite the ex-human and the annoying Yuki Cross...

"Are they coming?" Rima asked, not bothering enough to turn around and look for herself.

"To do what?" Shiki mumbled. "They shouldn't be here."

The blond model shrugged. At least, their presence would be...interesting. A vampire party seemed dreadfully boring after all, especially as all of the guests were noble and adhered fairly strictly to the politics of their society. Rima herself despised all of the soirees and social events she was forced to attend, although she knew Ruka in particular would have disagreed until she was blue in the face.

"Over here. Vice President Ichijou, I brought two people here," Kain's deep voice rumbled, and Rima turned to see the vice president exuberantly greeting the prefects.

"You came, Yuki and Kiryuu-san. Tonight is my birthday party! Isn't it fun?" Ichijou gestured grandly around at the celebration. Rima rolled her eyes. Fun, yes. If one considered a political night of food, drink, and pureblood supervision to be fun...

"Well... May I know how old you are?" the Cross girl asked, obviously ill-at-ease. Rima couldn't blame her. She was, after all, the only human in a vampire congregation...and her scent was rather appealing, besides. Fortunately for the petite girl, all of the Night Class were well-fed on the repulsive tablets.

"How old...in terms of human years or vampire years?" Ichijou-kun inquired.

"Vam...vampire?" Cross-san was at a loss.

"I'm 18 already, I'm an adult now. So, for a present I'll accept Yuki's kiss." The vice-president winked.

"An old pervert to the core..." Shiki muttered.

"He wasn't ever intending to tell her how old he actually is..." Rima mused, sipping her champagne with vague amusement.

"Ah? Oh, I didn't come here to play! I'm here as a prefect to ask about what happened earlier tonight! I still cannot pretend nothing has happened, leaving school grounds is against school rules... No, compared to this..." Yuki Cross trailed off, frowning.

"About that vampire... It's alright, ask away. Everyone here already knows about this," Ichijou said.

"Is this about that Level E?" Rima asked.

Shiki nodded. "Ichijou-kun thought she should know more because of Kiryuu..."

The model glanced at the hunter. He seemed to be in full control of himself now, but how long would that last? Without pureblood, Level E's quickly descended into madness. Regardless, she didn't think it was necessary to bring the prefects here tonight. She didn't understand her friend. And, listening to him drone on about the vampire pyramid, she felt abruptly uninterested in the celebration.

"Is this a birthday party or a lecture?" she muttered, placing her empty glass down on a table and sighing.

Shiki shrugged noncommittally, eyes slate grey and unfocused. Lips arcing downward, Rima observed her fellow model for a moment. He hadn't touched a morsel of food tonight, either, except the tidbits she'd passed to him, and even his champagne was scarcely sipped. The muted golden light from the candles and lanterns decorating the area illuminated the contours of his face, and she was stricken again by just how shallow and flat his eyes could be. Even though she knew it was not always so. Even though she had spied other emotions concealed and glimmering there, like hoarded jewels, beneath the lackluster surface. Even though, occasionally, just every once in a while, she caught the blue flicker of emotion there. Those emotions, however, precious and infrequent as they were, never lingered, and cold apathy always rose up to snuff them out again within the blink of an eye. Those glimpses of sapphire, of aquamarine, of azure, they captured her interest in spite of herself.

Reflexively, she passed him a tiny sandwich, which he automatically, mechanically consumed. He was distracted, somewhere far away, and the downpour of grey in his eyes shut her out. She wanted to catch that spark of blue igniting there again, wanted to draw out the smile he had shared with her exactly once. And she had to admit, Senri Shiki wasn't as boring as she'd originally assumed. He was a puzzle box she struggled to solve, and that made him undeniably fascinating, if sometimes frustrating. Certainly, his daily monotony was disappointing, but the bursts of color he showed her were captivating. He was a contradiction and a mystery, albeit a worrisome one, as he wouldn't feed himself properly. With that thought, she passed him a second sandwich.

Her thoughts were abruptly interrupted by the arrival of a sudden, delectable scent that heavily infused the air, dragging down through her nostrils and inflating her lungs. The entire assembly shifted, and immediately dozens of pairs of eyes were trained on a dark, regal figure who had exited the Night Dorm and stood before them on the porch. Kaname Kuran. What a surprise. He usually observed the events from his bedroom, which was honestly where Rima preferred him to stay. Beneath his scrutiny, the atmosphere of party palpably shifted.

"I heard a report today that there was an E class vampire roaming outside. Ichijou and Shiki went to hunt him down at my order," Kaname-sama explained in a low voice, moving to sit on the chair that had been prepared for him on the off-chance that he would attend the banquet.

"Kaname-sama..." The murmur rose in unison from the nobility.

"Kaname-senpai!" Yuki Cross exclaimed in apparent delight.

"That Kaname-sama would actually appear at this meeting...what a rare sight..." Kain murmured.

Rima inspected the sandwich she'd chosen for herself. Actually, her family supported the council rather than the purebloods, although Rima didn't bother with politics. She respected both parties, although it was obvious that the majority, if not all, of the vampires here were in awe of their leader. He certainly emanated charisma and charm, and not just from the temptation of his blood. He was both royalty and the ultimate prey: a strangely compelling combination.

"Is he intending to eat her?" Rima asked idly as the pureblood pulled the prefect onto his lap.

Ichijou, overhearing this, muffled a laugh. "Rima-chan, this is your first year in the Night Class, but Kaname and Yuki-chan have a long history together."

The model raised an eyebrow and repeated her question, "So, is he going to eat her?"

"I think Yuki is the only human completely safe from Kaname," the vice president answered cryptically. A moment later, noting how the congregation had completely lost the sense of the party, he clapped his hands together loudly. "Okay. So mean of everyone to forget... Everyone is gathered here tonight to celebrate my birthday. We must enjoy ourselves properly!"

"Kaname-senpai, we're leaving," the Cross girl stated.

Immediately tuning out of the pureblood and prefect's interaction, she heard Shiki ask the vice president, "Such a big cake...sure you can eat it alone?" She turned to see her colleague eyeing the artfully frosted layers of the confection. It was a massive, multi-tiered affair that made Rima nauseous with a mere glance.

"Would you like to try it? This was made by everybody's effort," Ichijou proclaimed proudly, gesturing to the pasty.

"Let me have your hand, Ichijou-san," the model prompted, passing over the knife.

As the blade exchanged hands, however, the sharp edge must have snagged against the blond's skin, because within seconds Rima could smell the fresh summer flavor of Ichijou's blood. Immediately, all eyes were focused on him. "Ah...I cut myself..." The vice president frowned, though the wound was not deep and Rima knew it would be healed within a moment or two.

"No problem," Shiki commented casually, leaning in to lick the dark liquid from the blond´s fingers.

Rima froze. Her vision tunneled, focusing on the tongue and protruding fangs of her fellow model who showed no hesitation with his actions. His previously dreary eyes were slowly dissolving into hazy red, his expression unapologetic. It seemed obvious that he and the vice president had shared blood before, and that Ichijou's blood was far more appetizing to her coworker than it would ever be to her. But mostly her lungs had halted, her heartbeat had paused, because she was momentarily overcome by an unexpected, unwelcome spasm of jealousy. For a brief interval, she imagined those fangs at her throat, that tongue licking her blood, and then just as abruptly she crashed back to reality, stunned with herself and with the intensity of this new, unexpected emotion.

Through the static that filled her ears, she heard Ichijou ask, "You did it on purpose, right?"

"Eh?" Shiki straightened, seeming genuinely puzzled, even as the silver-haired hunter suddenly clutched at his throat and broke away from the celebration, leaving Yuki Cross behind.

"Zero?!" the tiny prefect cried, hurrying after him immediately.

"This definitely agitated him..." The vice president glanced down at his hand, finding it clean and healed already. "Well... Thanks for taking care of my wound, Shiki-kun. I didn't think it would turn out like this."

"You were bored to death in the first place," the mahogany-haired vampire observed dryly.

"No!" the blond denied.

But Rima had had enough. Peeved and throat constricted by sudden, undeniable thirst, Rima turned on her heel and strode away from the festivities.

* * *

Alone in the bathroom after the festivities had died down, the taste lingered there. Familiar, undesired, and unavoidable. Glancing up into the mirror, Senri recoiled back from the reflected image. The hollow, crimson eyes. The protracted fangs when he opened his mouth. Inhaling shakily, he squeezed his eyes shut desperately. Just a moment. That was all he needed to erase it again, this terrible bloodlust that gripped him.

He didn't need blood. Those chalky, vile tablets fulfilled that form of nourishment. Yet... Despite that...despite it...his entire body had gravitated towards the liquid the moment that first drop had broken the surface of Ichijou's skin. He didn't like the scent of the vice president's blood...didn't want it...but the result had been determined even before the serrated edge had sliced open his friend's skin.

And it had happened before. And it would happen again. Inevitably. He didn't crave Ichijou's blood. No... Drinking blood for a vampire was far more than a physical desire, and it was that emotional, psychological aspect of it that drove him into fits of bloodlust. It was that side of it that made him cringe away from his own reflection, because it was a sharp, undeniable contradiction to everything his mother wanted. She wanted him to remain empty and he tried, tried so very hard... But then the moments crept up and slid under his skin, slimy and sickly, and he felt alone. Alone, depressed, useless...and starving. Starving for something that before had been vague, shapeless, and now was beginning to take form. If he traced back along the lines of that hunger, if he squinted through the haze of numb darkness, he could begin to outline its form, and he felt as though he was at last stirring, waking up from deep slumber. But to do that would be to destroy both himself and his mother's happiness. He could not awaken. To preserve his mother, all that was required of him was to remain empty, to sustain her with his blood, to utilize his cursed body for profit by leaving himself on display for hours and hours. That was all, and the rest could be forgotten and thrown away.

Sinking down to the floor, Senri was grateful that Ichijou wouldn't be back for a while. He needed time to drive this hunger away. To drive away the specter of his father's ravenous shadow. Rido Kuran...he had perpetually hungered. Perpetually lusted. Perpetually driven himself into obsession and harmed all those around him. Even though Senri had never known his father, those same genetics infested him like a cancer. From his mother, too, the genes he had inherited...they were genes of madness.

Shutting his eyes, he willed himself back into apathy. It was difficult now, becoming increasingly so, the longer he was away from home, the more time he spent by Ichijou and Rima's sides... His fingers curled into a fist. Rima...he didn't want to think of her now. Not when he was trying to suppress his hunger, because her scent incited it and inflamed his throat. What would he have done if she had been the one with the knife..? What would he have done if it had been _her_ blood that had been drawn? Would he have been able to hold himself back from biting her in front of the entire assembly, the prefects and Kaname Kuran included?

The words flashed through his mind again, resonating thunderously in an unforgettable memory, _"How contemptible."_ He really was...contemptible...

He didn't care. That was what he instructed himself. Not to care.

He didn't want Rima Toya's blood. Imagine his mother's reaction if she discovered that...

In fact, he wasn't hungry at all. He was barely even awake, barely conscious.

His clenched fist loosened, the bloodlust receding as abruptly as it had arrived. Sleep. Yes, that was what he wanted to do...sleep. Sleep and sleep until these preoccupations dissipated into nothing. Tomorrow, the memory of such hunger would only be a vague, blurry nightmare that he could brush aside like a spider web.

* * *

 **AN:** Oh look, we finally made it to what, chapter 5 of the manga? Haha. #Progress. Woop woop!


	10. Chapter 10

**AN:** Sorry I'm late with this chapter, I've been trying to decide how I wanted Rima to react to the situation at the party. I finally decided she'd probably disengage. I hope it's okay like this... I think I told you guys I'm really bad at writing Shima... -runs away-

* * *

For days after the party, Rima avoided her partner. At work, she casually roamed the grounds or immersed herself in books and sketches between shoots, as though she were merely tired of her usual routine. At school, she locked herself away in her bedroom. She did it carefully, without her actions ever seeming intentional, but she let herself drift away whenever Shiki's presence was too close, unable to look into those grey eyes without suddenly, sharply recalling how he'd licked the vice president's fingers clean of blood. Without feeling incredibly frustrated and just a bit uneasy. Without recollecting the mantle of jealousy that perched uncomfortably on her shoulders.

The box of chocolate pocky she perpetually carried with her now gathered dust on her dresser. Carrying it had been a constant reminder of her colleague, so she'd abandoned it there... Now, however, it watched her silently, accusing her every time she entered the room. She ignored it, as she ignored Shiki, and as she ignored her unwanted, abrupt feelings. How annoying. She hadn't asked for this. Why should she be jealous over her colleague? Somehow, she had underestimated him...and herself. Underestimated the way this slimy envy and pestering thirst would haunt her and sneak into the crevices of her mind.

Rima liked aesthetics. This much was true. However, a boring aesthetic was worthless. Originally, that was what she had pegged Shiki for, although now she knew that wasn't really true... Nevertheless, it was inconceivable that she might _like_ Shiki, so what was this thing she felt? What was this thing that ruffled her peace of mind and agitated her bloodlust? If it wasn't attraction, or _liking_ , then what was it?

Her coffee tasted bitter this morning, a side effect of her own bitterness towards the situation. Sour wine would be sweeter than the acrid taste left in her mouth. She didn't want to be troubled by this, or by anything else overly complicated. Why couldn't her days be like her baths; warm, serene and relaxing, conducted in a selfish solitude that didn't have to worry about anyone else? Why had she fallen into this constant preoccupation over her colleague, anyway? It didn't suit her at all. Yet, it seemed she couldn't shake it off, either.

* * *

Senri slowed, passing the door to the room that Rima shared with Ruka. His heightened senses did not pick up either of their scents, and he continued on with resignation. How many days had it been since the party? Since... His gaze fell to the carpet. Since Rima had started avoiding him...? He didn't like it. The absence of her presence was strange now, and he felt hungrier than before. Without her scent, without the occasional stick of pocky...it was difficult to swallow down his dry throat.

Had he done something wrong? Offended her? Or had she simply lost all interest in him? He'd thought perhaps they were friends by now...but maybe they weren't... Maybe he'd assumed wrongly. Either way, the air around him, lacking Rima's perfume, was uncomfortable to breathe, unsettling and unsatisfying as it scratched down into his lungs.

Although he knew he should be taking this opportunity to distance himself from her and his own genetic inclinations...somehow, his feet continued to search for her anyway.

* * *

Rima sighed, lying her book to the side and craning her head up to the sky, where the night sky was devouring every last drop of sunlight. Night was rather vampiric in nature, so it seemed fitting that vampires belonged to the night. The natural state of the sky was dark...the sun bled fresh life over it each day, but within hours the night had drank it up again hungrily. Every last drop. And so it went on, forever.

Shutting her eyes, she wondered realistically how long she could continue to ignore her coworker. Eventually, she would have to sort through her newly accumulated emotions. Rima wasn't a jealous creature, like Ruka Souen or Hanabusa Aidou. She didn't enjoy this sensation. Moreover...she didn't want to follow the particular train of thought that came with it to the end of its tracks. Jealousy came from _wanting..._ and she didn't want to consider that she might _want_ a person. She _wanted_ to be an actress, to avoid tedium, to fill her centuries with color...but a person? She shook her head. People always brought with them a slew of negative emotions. She had already experienced one: jealousy. Did she really want to invite more?

A sudden weight against her shoulder snapped her away from her thoughts. She stared at Senri Shiki in confusion, just as he stared back up at her with a calm, calculating gaze. Arching a perfectly-curved golden eyebrow, she inquired with disapproval, "What are you doing?"

"You´re avoiding me…" he murmured, the blue in his eyes seemed to penetrate directly into her skull, reading her thoughts.

She hadn´t expected him to notice that she was avoiding him. After all, she did it subtly, carefully, so that no one might realize that quite abruptly she found it difficult to be in her coworker´s presence. The blend of delicious aromas in his blood was enough to drive her crazy, let alone the discovery of strange, inexplicable jealousy she felt whenever he and Ichijou were too close. She disregarded these feelings, however, choosing instead to deny his statement with a vague, "Not particularly…" She shifted her weight in an attempt to dislodge him, peeved by both his invasion of her personal space and how he had effectively thwarted any hopes of escape from the conversation. _Get off me._

"Ever since the party…" he remarked, more astute than she would have imagined. "What did I do?"

"Nothing," she negated once more, steadfastly ignoring him as she watched a raccoon dart past.

"Somehow, the party became troublesome, with the guardians and Kaname-sama… But nothing else really happened…" He frowned, giving the matter more thought than she wanted him to.

"I haven´t been avoiding you," she repeated, a tad waspishly, lips curving downward in evidence of her displeasure.

"I only…" He paused, sitting up then to her relief, and looked at her with an intensity that frightened her. "I only tasted Ichijou-kun´s blood. Could it be…Rima-chan is in love with the vice president?"

His conclusion shocked her into a startled laugh. She was amused enough that she chose to ignore his casual usage of her name, shaking her head as she relaxed. "Yes, I´ve always had a soft spot for old perverts," she commented wryly, reaching for her book to signal that the conversation was finished.

"You don´t like Ichijou-kun´s blood?" She detected mild curiosity in his tone, and with a sigh left her book for the moment.

"Not really," she admitted. "I don´t know how you drank it…" The familiar pang of jealousy snuck its way back into her chest.

He shrugged. "I was hungry…even Ichijou-kun´s blood seemed okay… It would have been a waste."

Even though her mind carefully, logically schooled her to drop the topic, she found herself asking, "It doesn´t taste good to you?"

The silence hung suspended between them, the uncomfortable jealousy stinging against her tongue and down her throat straight into the pit of her stomach. Then, he stated bluntly, "No." A pause. "But it's Ichijou-kun and he's a friend," he added in retrospect.

Her eyes narrowed now, pinning him to the bench as she demanded, "I thought you were taking the tablets?"

"I am," he replied softly.

"And you're still hungry?" It was a question she shouldn't ask. A vampire's hunger was linked to so many things, most of them intimate in nature. But. Shiki was her partner. Shiki was...her friend? Yes...perhaps so... He was her friend, and her concern for him had never diminished over these months. In fact, it had only increased. To be thirsty despite the tablets...to consider ingesting unappetizing blood of all things...such an occurrence indicated, at least to Rima, that something was wrong.

He flinched, and the grey immediately rose up in his eyes, constructing an impenetrable wall, effectively shutting her away. She sucked in a breath, the suspicions solidifying both in her mind and in his gaze. Yes. Something was wrong. But he said nothing, and the silence burned up the empty spaces between them into heavy ash.

He said nothing, and she inhaled, her lips opened, her tongue prepared to voice her treasonous thoughts. To offer... "Then..." The first word came slowly, testing the waters, fighting against her better judgment.

"Rima-chan. Shiki-kun. There you are!" a cheerful voice jolted through the atmosphere. Rima jerked her head up in surprise to see Ichijou waving to them a few yards away. "I was just thinking…" he continued as he approached, then trailed off. "Sorry, am I interrupting something?"

"Yes, actually," Rima stated bluntly, half-disappointed and half-grateful for the vice president´s sudden appearance. A moment later and she might have dared to… She had almost… _Almost offered Senri Shiki her blood…_

Her coworker stood then, expression impregnable as he murmured distantly to Ichijou, "I have to get a few things from the dorm before class."

"Ah…okay," the blond said uncertainly as Shiki fled down the path. He was strolling casually, hands in his pockets, but Rima knew he was running away from the conversation he hadn´t dared to continue. "Is everything okay?" Ichijou questioned worriedly.

Rima sighed, standing and tucking her novel beneath her arm. "There are certainly a lot of things you haven´t told me about Shiki-san."

The vice president was quiet. Troubled, he at last replied, "I'm sure there are a lot of things that Shiki-kun hasn't told me about himself."

Hm. Yes, she supposed so.

And just like that, she knew tomorrow that everything would revert back to normal. She would cease avoiding him, and her characteristic box of pocky would return to her pocket. Because once again her preoccupations had risen up, effectively overriding the jealousy. She'd forgiven him, anyway, the moment he'd admitted he didn't really enjoy the taste of Ichijou's blood...the moment she'd sensed that something was wrong, something that ran far deeper than a mere fit of bloodlust... From now on, she had to be more perceptive when it concerned her coworker.

* * *

Walking back to the dorms, Senri felt cold, a caged bird craving something unattainable beyond these self-constructed, inescapable bars. He had been the one to clip his own wings long ago, for his mother's sake. He had been the one to transform his mattress into a grave of lost dreams that conspired against him in the dead of night, reminding him of the things he had once wanted when he was young and naive. And he had been the one to trample down his loneliness and thirst, to imagine that such feelings did not exist. Yet his dreams betrayed him, lashed across his tongue with unspoken words, resonated hollowly through the seams of his fractured heart.

And the silence of those words consumed him. Poisoned him with the radioactive blue of her eyes. Vibrated through him with the melodic thunder of her voice. Distorted him with color and sensations. Struggling against it, struggling towards it, either way ended in exhaustion. It was too much effort, too high a risk... Yet there, on that bench, in that room they shared to prepare for the shoots, the magnetic attraction pulled at his metallic heart, and he desired to stand in her charged aura, to hear her quiet voice, to feel her power up the cogs of his dusty soul.

But the flicker of such longings died fast. Fearfully, he told himself that they weren't real, that he didn't care. He entombed them within the emptiness behind his face. So close to her energy, he could feel his machinery heart whirring, creaking, and scraping against rib cage, yet... Yet he didn't dare to allow it. It would swallow him whole. Already, his silhouette burned with hunger. Another step further, and everything he had built would shatter. He would shatter every limit he had set for himself, break all of the promises that he had made. Shaking his head, he forced his thoughts away from her. From his thirst. From the dangers of madness and attachment and lust. Now, before he remembered, he must eliminate these treacherous almost-feelings.

If only he could remember how to forget them again...

* * *

 **AN:** Hey at least Rima has acknowledged they're friends XD.


	11. Chapter 11

Tonight the sidewalks veining the academy were cold and wet, echoing the drum of a consistent, ceaseless rain. Members of the Night Class passed them easily, going to class with a sense of punctuality the pair of models lacked. Unlike their peers, the two tarried over the damp walkways, listening to the rhythm of those tiny droplets on the pavement. Despite the nip in the early April air, the proximity of their bodies drove off the chill. Senri basked in the glum, tranquil weather and in his coworker's magnetic ambiance. As though she were the positive to his negative, he was compelled to remain there, bound to her side by a powerful electric current.

Her parasol fended off the rain. If he stayed beneath it, he wondered if that pastel shield could fend off his own insecurities. It was warm there, under that umbrella, sheltered by flimsy plastic and the steadiness of her small hand. The rain beyond the borders of that plastic did not touch him and he wondered if her presence similarly warded off some of his own demons. Certainly, he didn't have to remain so detached when it was just the two of them, without the hardships of home pressing down on him like a tidal wave. But it was a slippery slope, and although he didn't want to live as he had been, he also didn't want to risk the plunge into madness... The madness that dogged him, always one step behind.

The constant hunger in his heart frightened him, spreading doubt and caution tingling through his chest. The constant tight dryness in his throat tested him, starting and stopping along with the ferocious cravings of his voracious heart. When his control wavered, dismantled images flushed his brain, taunting him, horrifying him. Images of blood... _Her_ blood. Dripping down, staining his teeth, blood spattered over her familiar, pale white throat… Images of his lips pressed against her neck, of her hand pressed over his comatose heart as though she might restart it with a single, electric shock… Only his eyelids had the power to vanquish such sinful desires. Only in sleep could he find peace. And when darkness fell once again outside it fell once again over him as well, reversing the temporary victory that the void of sleep had brought.

It wasn't slumber, but for now that halo of dry air beneath the parasol was enough. Rima's presence was solace in a world of never-ending rain. So when they passed out of the rain and into the building where their class was, he felt the residue of regret. Just a moment longer in the rain, shoulders brushing as they navigated the slick sidewalks... Yes, just a single more instant would have been welcome... But the umbrella snapped shut, the water was shaken off, and seconds later the two of them entered the classroom.

The room was thronged with vampire nobility, most of them clustered around their pureblood leader. Senri himself barely nodded in Kaname's direction. They were cousins strictly and formally by blood, but he felt little connection to the dark-haired vampire. As usual, rather than join the crowd, Rima elected to sit at Ichijou's table near the window. Senri slid between them, a touch melancholy as the scents of the Night Class mingled with Rima's and muted it. If he couldn't gorge himself on her blood, at least her scent...

His eyes flared, skin crawled. What was he thinking...? He folded himself smaller. The familiar creases of apathy and denial easily bent to his will after so many years of shaping himself to the wills of others. He had been compressed by so many hands that he was wrinkled and bent beyond repair. Carefully, he began to drain himself again. He traced the imperfections in the glass window. The grain of the wood of the table. Counted the leaves on the nearby dark trees that masked the night sky with gloom. And felt himself slip away again, hollow.

"You're late," the vice president chided.

"I don't see the teacher," Rima retorted, idly toying with one of her shoulder-length pigtails.

"Actually, our regular sensei had to do something for the Council, so we should have a substitute today," the green-eyed vampire informed them.

No sooner than that had been said, the door opened a touch forcefully and a tall, roguish man dressed in brown leather entered the classroom. His right eye was covered with a patch and on his head he wore a wide-brimmed, Western style hat. Around his waist was a wide black belt upon which was strapped what seemed to be a very real gun. The moment Senri smelled him, he knew what this man was: a vampire hunter. Immediately, the Night Class stiffened, and a few of them even stood as though ready to violently welcome this newcomer.

"I'm Yagari Touga, your substitute teacher for ethics" the rough-looking man introduced himself. "Nice to meet you?" He snorted, as though he found this amusing, and added, "Vampires..."

Rima leaned over, whispering to him and Ichijou, "Yagari... The number one vampire hunter that appeared in our news had the same name..."

"Ah... Here to play policeman, then... It would be a bad time to get hungry..." he murmured back, wondering just how the hunter would react if one of the class was to exhibit their most vampiric characteristics.

"Why don't we invite Eyepatch-sensei to dinner?" Rima suggested, eyes twinkling with quiet amusement.

Ichijou sent them both a stern look. "Rima-chan, Shiki-kun, this isn't something to joke about. Touga-san is here to promote coexistence between humans, hunters, and vampires alike."

"Boring." Rima rolled her eyes, glancing out the window, already distracted by something beyond the glassy plane.

"If you say so." Senri shrugged. Honestly, the hunter's presence seemed more like a direct threat from the Hunter Association than anything else, but he didn't want to argue with his friend over that particular point. Arguing, like everything else, required too much energy for him to trouble with. Honestly, he didn't care about the hunter, because whatever his purpose at the academy, it was unlikely to directly affect the mahogany-haired model.

"So. This is the man responsible for that gunshot the other night," Aidou muttered. Senri frowned. Vaguely, he remembered hearing something like that, just as Aidou said...something he hadn't bothered with enough to investigate further.

"Relax, everyone. I've gotten a teaching license. I'm now a qualified educator." Touga dropped his books onto the desk haphazardly and took a pencil out of the top drawer.

"Last I heard, you were in a far-off place. So you're back... Still gathering info on the Night Class? Or do you have a target among us, Yagari-'sensei'?" Kaname said in a low voice. He hadn't known the hunter was coming, either, then...

"So sorry, but _I_ still have a clean sheet. I haven't done anything yet, but if you fall asleep in class, I'll probably add that to your record." From the tone of their new teacher's words, Senri had the sense that much more was being exchanged between the two men than mere words.

"I'll take note, sensei," the pureblood demurred.

Fall asleep in class, huh..? The idea was appealing. For a moment, he considered leaning over to rest his head on his colleague's shoulder and drift off. There, asleep, the dull lecture would pass in a flash, and once again he could stand beneath Rima's lavender umbrella and walk side-by-side across the campus through the gentle rain... And there, asleep, he could quench the soreness in the back of his throat that couldn't seem to remain forgotten...

But instead the lecture continued, oblivious to his discomforts and fears. Tediously he tracked the minutes, passed in tension and with baited breath by the majority of the Night Class, who were still mistrustfully eyeing the hunter's gun. After this one obstacle, this lecture that stood between him and the rest of the night, he would return to the dorm with Rima. And tomorrow evening, he would spend several hours with her at the agency. He didn't like all this interference, all these other clamoring aromas vying for dominance in the classroom. What he did like was the stick of pocky she shared with him and him alone.

Ah. He shut his eyes, brows pinching together for a moment as a revelation scrawled across the back of his eyelids. So that was it... He wanted to monopolize her... Well, that wouldn't do... But it was becoming increasingly harder to recall how to eliminate such a desire...

* * *

The pager on her vanity buzzed, alerting Rima that she had her coworker had fifteen minutes before the shoot began. Adding a last minute touch-up to her lipstick, the blond model glanced over at Shiki, who had passed out on his table, head pillowed on his arms and all the beauty products shoved haphazardly out of the way. A bottle of hairspray hung perilously over the edge of the table and she shook her head, thinking, _Maybe this wouldn't happen if you took better care of yourself..._ But she knew that was a futile hope.

It was always raining within his distant grey eyes. And she wondered, vaguely, detachedly, if she put an umbrella over that cemented heart...would he smile again for her? If somehow the dark and bitter tempest that caged him passed, would she witness a tranquil azure sky in his eyes? Would his eyes be green-blue? Or grey-blue? Violet-blue? Bright blue? Magnetic blue?

Abruptly, she needed to see his eyes. Now. Sleepy and still filled with dreams. She needed to know what shade of blue the residue of those dreams might be. "Shiki-san, wake up," Rima prompted, folding her arms.

He didn't wake. She could leave him, she supposed, but...the shoot was going to start in five minutes. There was no time for her coworker to be passed out on the vanity table. But… Beneath the make-up, she could still detect the dark purple, sleepless bruises that framed his eyes… He didn't stir, breathing steady and even, and she contemplated leaving him there and telling the manager that Shiki was nowhere to be found. Doing that, however, would only grant him another five minutes, followed by a rude awakening.

She bit her lip, hesitating. She didn't understand Shiki's circumstances. How could she when he never spoke of them, when he left everything unsaid and weighing down on his shoulders? The burden must be dragging him under. Never eating, never sleeping properly, never expressing what he needed, never expressing anything at all... Aware of those things, she didn't want to shake him awake or leave him for the staff to find. Moreover, as though it might lead her to some comprehension, she wanted to see his eyes before consciousness had fully filtered through them.

"Shiki," she repeated, dropping the title and stepping forward to brush his mahogany hair away from his forehead. She should wake him gently.

On cue, his eyes fluttered open, fogged with sleep. Greedily, she drank in the misty silver-blue of those eyes. Staring down into them, she had the sensation that those eyes mirrored the starry night sky, touched by the first caress of dawn. In a word, it was breathtaking. Spellbound for a brief, whirling instant, Rima started in surprise when the model moved, breaking the enchantment that had momentarily held her in place.

He frowned. When she moved to step away his hand closed around her wrist and he tugged her back, mumbling, "You smell nice."

"Come on, we´re going to be late," she urged, free hand moving to perch on her hip, lips mirroring his as the grey-wash of wakefulness began bleaching that captivating blend of color from his gaze.

"Yeah…" he acquiesced, standing and rubbing the corner of his eye groggily with one hand. The other still encircled her slender wrist.

"You´re lucky the make-up didn´t smudge after falling asleep," she remarked, regaining her composure with a snap. She was oddly impressed with this particular brand. She´d have to make a note of it.

A sleepy nod. The corner of her mouth quirked upward. _Cute_. Immediately following the thought, a jolt of surprise left her ajar for a beat. That was twice in the past five minutes that he had thoroughly captured her attention without trying. Still, it was true that _occasionally_ Shiki could be cute. Not often, but every once in a while. Right now, his expression still drowsy and adrift, his eyes an overcast teal that hadn't quite slid all the way back to blankness, he was far cuter than he normally was, when that poisonous grey muddled his features.

Shaking away such thoughts, she cautiously extracted her wrist from his hold. She didn't want to be fussed at for being late. Her colleague didn´t resist, though disappointment glimmered faintly in his eyes. Before he released her, however, his thumb brushed over her pulse point, lingering over the visible convergence of bluish veins there. That slight pressure sent a tiny shiver scuttling down her spine, heating her cheeks and pricking at her fangs.

Her breath stuck abruptly in her lungs.

Suddenly agitated, Rima whirled to open the door. It was time to go, because _that_ was definitely not cute. Definitely not. Not when she was beginning to imagine him increasing that pressure just enough for his fingernail to slice open her skin before raising that tiny cut to his lips... She couldn't help but wonder, what color would his eyes be, inebriated on her blood..? When the scarlet had faded, what shade of blue would they be?

"I´m going ahead. And I´m not making any excuses for you if you´re not on time," she announced, exiting with a toss of her pigtails and a shudder in her heart.

She shouldn't be thinking like this. Not about Senri Shiki, her monochrome, unenthusiastic partner. Yet, she couldn't shake the residual warm spot on her wrist where his thumb had stroked over her skin...nor the abrupt dryness in her throat.

* * *

 **AN:** Kyukyukyu -insert evil laughter- Alsoooo I didn't really introduce Yagari as a character with a purpose...he's a time marker so you know where in the manga we are :).


	12. Chapter 12

"Rima-chan, Shiki-kun, I'll wait here, okay?" their driver and representative at the agency told them. Their representative, although common-born, was the only other vampire in the agency. Today this situation was especially fortuitous, since Kaname had dictated that the two models should take care of a Level E who had kidnapped a high school girl and drug her inside an abandoned house. "Take care of this business as soon as possible," the woman continued. "And Shiki-kun, at the risk of repeating myself for the millionth time, please act like a professional model. Share Rima-chan's umbrella before you burn."

"Okay..." the mahogany-haired model agreed dully, moving under the shade of the parasol as Rima began to walk up the overgrown path that led up to the front door of the old house.

"Why do we have to exterminate an ex-human today? Why before the Hunter's Association?" Rima heaved a sigh of displeasure.

"A competition, it seems." Shiki shrugged.

"This time's target hasn't been Level E for long, so he may be more clever than the usual ones. Well, it's no big deal, even if it's annoying."

With resignation, the blond model pushed open the door of the old house. Apart from the slight creak of the frame, no other noise announced their entrance. Rima shut the umbrella, stepping inside, eyes adjusting to the sudden change in light as she assessed the room. There, against the back wall, hunched the Level E, holding a limp figure at his side. Wide, hungry eyes watched her carefully as she set the parasol against the wall, attempting to evaluate just how much of a threat this particular Level E was. He was at least able to withhold his hunger enough to be on his guard and wait for them to make the first move. As far as Rima was concerned, that wasn't a good sign. It suggested he had retained more of his senses than she had thought.

"Oh. A member of the discipline." Shiki stopped suddenly, eyes tracked on the petite form of Yuki Cross, who stood to the side of the entryway.

"Shiki-senpai! Toya-senpai! Why are you two here?" the prefect asked.

"Oh, his comrades?" the Level E asked in a high voice scratchy with disbelief, clutching the unconscious girl in his arms closer to him. "Unfortunately, I'm taking care of something right now."

Shiki took a step forward, and the Level E hissed. "Are you perhaps intending to take my dessert away from me? That's not good... You can't do such a thing! It's my amusement for later!"

With a sigh, her coworker pushed Yuki Cross back towards the door, muttering "You're in my way," as he pierced the tip of his right index finger with a fang. Rima felt her throat convulse briefly, inhaling the sharpness of that rainy aroma.

"You...you intend to fight me?" the mad vampire asked as a tendril of blood crept from Shiki's finger, lengthening into a thin coil. Rima's attention snapped back to the matter at hand, despite the distraction of the delectable scent that was infusing the room and inciting her senses.

Snapping his arm out, Shiki sent a whip of blood cracking towards the Level E, who leapt out of the way with a quickness that Rima hadn't anticipated. A cloud of dust rose, obscuring the area as the whip struck the wall, and when the dust had faded, both the vampire and his victim were no longer in sight.

"Oops...he ran away." Shiki flicked his hand disinterestedly, and the blood returned, sealing shut the miniscule wound on his fingertip.

"What are you doing? Go after him, quick." Rima glared. It was troublesome, she wouldn't deny that, but they were here on orders and they had to comply with the pureblood's wishes.

"I don't find chasing fun," Shiki replied, returning to her side.

"Just go after him," she retorted, pushing him in the Level E's direction.

In the time it took the words to leave her mouth, the petite prefect had launched herself down the hall like a grade A idiot.

"Now look, Kaname-sama's pet is going to get eaten," Rima muttered, starting after the girl herself.

"Rima-chan," he complained, making use of her name so easily and informally that it grated on her ears. "I don't like chasing," he repeated.

"Then stay there and guard the door," she muttered, disappearing around the curve of the stairs. A moment later, she heard a sigh, and before long her coworker was beside her again.

"It's boring alone," he explained, and she shook her head, eyes lifting upwards as they pursued the Level E down the hall.

Rounding the corner, Rima honed in on the discarded body of the victim. "Get that," she ordered, pointing to the young, pale girl. The model could still detect the faint trace of warmth and a slow heartbeat coming from her; at the very least, she was still alive.

Shiki hefted the frail body up over his shoulder wordlessly, and the pair continued on. It wasn't much further before a gunshot resounded through the building. A moment later, they entered the hall where the Level E's body had already faded to dust, taken down by Zero Kiryuu's bullet. Rima put a hand on her hip. It seemed that they had let the Hunter's take care of the target first... Personally, she didn't care one way or the other, but...she was sure Kaname Kuran would have something to say about it.

"Hey, members of the discipline," she called, pointing to the limp body of the Level E's victim draped over her coworker's shoulder. "We picked up this girl over there, but what are we going to do? She's still alive."

The silver-haired hunter stiffened at the sight of them, but murmured, "We'll take her back."

"The car," Shiki suggested suddenly, and Rima nodded, adding, "We'll have our driver take her back to the school. You two should ride back, too."

"Alright."

A few minutes later, and the car was passing out of sight down the road, carrying the two prefects and the unfortunate victim safely back to the academy. Which meant the two models would be walking back to campus. Fortunately, it wouldn't take them more than 30 minutes, but nevertheless, it required more energy than the blond vampire preferred to spend. Actually, come to think of it, this entire day had consumed more energy than she normally liked to use.

A strained breath caught her attention abruptly. Beside her, Shiki's eyes had shut, fingers of one hand white-knuckled around the handle of the parasol, which he had volunteered to carry, fingers of the other hand pressed at the hollow of his throat in obvious discomfort. Her own eyes widened, honing in on the sharp, twin points of his fangs as he opened his mouth slightly to inhale slowly and deeply in an attempt to calm himself.

"Shiki-san?" she asked. Unfortunately, she hadn't thought to bring the tablets with her. Even though they were only supposed to take one a day, in emergencies they were permitted more.

"Sorry," he whispered, swallowing heavily. "The air in there was full of blood."

Rima bit her lip, gaze preoccupied as she observed, "You need blood."

"No," he denied.

"It's obvious that you do."

"It will pass," he insisted.

"A vampire doesn't become like this for no reason."

Blue-grey eyes moved against hers, probing. Rather than respond, he inquired in a low tone, "Is Rima-chan hungry, too?"

On reflex, she swallowed around the sudden lump of denial in her throat. She needed to lie, but her lips felt heavy and sluggish as her nose easily drew in the rainy, twilit agar scent of his blood. Yes…she was hungry. So hungry she had dreamt last night about draining her coworker dry of every last drop of that intriguing, irritating blood. She didn't want to admit it, because it seemed ludicrous, but she thought maybe she was kind of attracted to Senri Shiki after all. It was an unexpected and completely undesired development.

When she didn't immediately respond, he asked casually, as if it was nothing, "Shall I give you my blood, then?" His fingers tugged his collar away from his skin, exposing his throat, and against every inch of her willpower she felt her mouth water, felt the incriminating crimson blazon its way across her eyes. She couldn't hide her thirst, and she flushed uncomfortably, embarrassed and chagrined.

"Don't offer me something like that so easily," she muttered, annoyed. He probably offered blood to everyone to just suggest it so casually, even if the experience itself was fairly intimate. But maybe, to someone as detached as Shiki, it held no particular significance.

His eyes narrowed, and through the veil of burgundy lashes she could see his own gaze darkening to scarlet, as well. He leaned towards her suddenly, hair brushing lightly across her cheek, and she felt his teeth graze her pulse as he murmured, "Then…is it okay if I take yours?"

A tiny, electric shiver sped down her spine. Her blood pressure raced on reflex as her mind franticly searched for an answer. He couldn´t be serious. But, feeling his tongue trace up along her jugular, she shuddered with terrible longing for him to do it. Part of her mind calmly demanded that she walk away, even as the other part whispered softly, _let him…_

"Is it?" he repeated, voice husky in her ear as he pulled back for a moment, eyes flaring scarlet against hers now. From the tilt of his eyebrows, that query seemed almost…a plea.

She shouldn't. But she wasn't withdrawing from him, either. And then, a third part of her was curious. Curious to find out if he was serious. Curious as to how it would feel. Curious what color his eyes might be afterward.

He tilted his head to one side, measuring. Then, abruptly, he stepped away, expression impenetrable. "Just kidding." He held up the umbrella again, as though they could simply continue along the path normally.

Rage was sparking and crackling along her limbs. How dare he test her with no intention of following through? "What the hell?" she seethed, jerking the umbrella from his hand. That was the last time she concerned herself with Senri Shiki. If he was going purposely toy with her, their friendship was over.

"A certain aura brought me to my senses," Shiki murmured, and she glimpsed a pair of humans passing them by on the opposite side of the street.

Some of her fury abated, though her pulse still quickened angrily, having been teased in such a careless manner. "Well, they're gone now," she stated flatly, irritated.

"It's under control, so..." He said that without a trace of emotion, but all the same she noticed that he was still laboring to mute the ruby glow in his eyes.

Her lips pressed together in disagreement, but she let it go. She couldn't force her partner to feed, and it _was_ the middle of the afternoon, even if they were on a relatively empty street. Suppressing a sigh, she turned and continued down the sidewalk, Shiki trailing along beside her. Their movement startled a group of sparrows who darted up towards the sky. Their dwindling forms were like Shiki, whose walled-off self fled skittishly at every approach. Like the birds, it was best to approach slowly, because any sudden move would assuredly frighten him off again.

 _Why do you refuse to properly care for yourself?_ she thought, but when her colleague stiffened she realized to her horror that she had voiced the question aloud. Like the birds, she was going to drive him away from her today.

A moment later, she realized he was standing still, frozen on the sidewalk, vacillating. She turned back, repositioning the parasol safely over their heads, and waited. Perhaps at last he would permit her some much-needed clarity...

* * *

For those few dizzying moments when all of his sanity had slipped away and mouth had inched closer to her throat, he thought the parched veins in his throat were going to burst. His breath had strained against his chest in painful, short bursts. His mouth had felt dry and raw, fangs roughly scraping against his tongue as his body harshly demanded that he fulfill the hunger that plagued him. And it had been impossible to ignore the sweet, tempting aroma that drifted from Rima's skin. There, tongue unconsciously tracing up her enticing artery, those humans had mercifully approached and the model had shuddered, clenching and locking his jaw in an attempt to seal the ravenous thirst away. He must prevent the overwhelming bloodlust from consuming him entirely, prevent himself from waking from this apathetic haze. Even if he wanted to...

And now she was asking him _why._ Why he was refusing himself. Why he should never, ever let his control slide enough to bite her. If it had been anyone else, he would have ignored the question. But it was Rima. It was Rima, and if he couldn't stop himself in the future, she should know. Perhaps she should start running from him now.

"I-I can't," he murmured, a confession torn from starving lips.

"Why not?" Her brow furrowed.

"I can't," he repeated, miserable as his lungs filled with her scent and his chest tightened and contracted in response. It was becoming increasingly difficult to breathe. The discomfort was lancing through his lungs. He needed to return to the dorms soon to take a tablet..or four.

"I don't understand."

Of course not. How could she... He didn't even understand it himself, sometimes. To her, the solution probably seemed so simple. But that solution was dangerous, insidious, because he craved the taste of her blood, wanted it for himself. Trembling, he recognized the symptoms of a desire he couldn't dare to indulge himself in. He couldn't satiate that desire. Not now, not ever. He was predisposed to madness, to obsession. And, more than that, he knew he wouldn't be able to deny such a desire any longer the moment her blood touched his lips. The perfect mask of apathy would crack open. No, above all, her blood should be considered forbidden.

He had to tell her something. Something to make her understand. "I can't...I promised...not to form any attachments."

Her gaze sharpened into anger now. "Why not?" she demanded, arms folding over her chest, eyebrows drawing together in displeasure.

He shook his head, the words squeezing like a noose around his tongue. He had only vaguely told these things to Ichijou. It was difficult to spit the words out. "For my mother, I can't... I don't want to become like him..."

"Like who?" Rima stepped closer, eyes searching his as though she would find the answer written there. She wouldn't. He kept his eyes empty, just as he should be working harder to keep the rest of himself.

And ah...how he hated voicing that name... "My father."

"Rido Kuran?" She blinked, at a loss. Then, with a toss of her pigtails, she declared, "I don't understand what you're saying. What I do understand is that you need to take better care of yourself."

"It's fine," he murmured.

"It. Is. Not. Fine!" she exploded, stomping her foot in an outburst of a flaring temper he had never seen before. "It's not fine, Senri Shiki! How can you live like this?!"

His lips twitched in self-defensive sarcasm. "Am I? I'm a vampire so... Am I living?"

For a moment, a flash of furious anger transformed her features. For a moment, he almost lost himself. He was terrified of the impulses that lurked in the deepest recesses of his mind, where the control and the apathy could not completely suffocate them. There were so many dangerous urges there. The desire to sink his teeth into her throat. To slam his mouth into hers. To monopolize her entirely. And he didn't want to examine those nightmarish desires, because he knew where they stemmed from. That was the inheritance his father had left for him; insatiable obsession and lust.

"Fine," she huffed sharply. "Fine, if you're not going to take it seriously, then I won't either."

"No, sorry..." A small breath, to steady him and the trembling of his tongue. He didn't want to voice these things aloud, didn't want to admit to their truths. Yet Rima, perhaps far more than Ichijou, had a necessity to know them.

"Mother, she..." He hesitated, wincing over the unspoken words, twisting his neck slightly with the ghost-pain of her agonizing, merciless bite. "Rido broke her," he whispered at last. "And me... To me he passed on blood...tainted with madness..." His tongue was staggering under the burden of his confession. "For her sake...I can't become like that." His fingers rose to curl against his neck, remembering all of her mother's anguish. Her tears. Her loneliness. Her delusions. She had lost so many pieces of herself that there was no way to sew herself back together.

"You don't have to become anything you don't want to, Shiki," Rima told him frankly, employing only his surname in that blunt, pseudo-rude way that indicated her honesty and emphasized her words.

But his eyes dropped away, sinking like anchors under the burden of the ocean. How could he express the filth of Rido Kuran's blood? How could he express that in the end perhaps he wouldn't have a choice at all? He was sure that neither his mother nor his father had wanted to be driven mad, never imagined it possible. But it had come to pass for them, and it could come to pass for him just the same. Exactly the same. He was the inheritor of those savage, obscene genes...

"Just think about it," she said at last. "Maybe the best way to differentiate yourself from them is to take care of yourself. That's what they were lacking, wasn't it?"

She gestured for him to follow her and, begrudgingly, he had to acknowledge that there was a certain logic behind her words...

* * *

 **AN:** You definitely wanna review this one ;)

Also last chapter I had a review from a guest (will the real Slim Shady please stand up?)(lol) asking if this story was a reupload. To answer your question, it isn't. I have never written a full length Shima fic before and I don't -think- there's any fic similar to this one but the internet is a big place, so it's entirely possible there is somewhere and that is the story you're thinking of. But, I'm also guilty of not reading a lot of fanfiction so I wouldn't know it anyway. (Oops). Anyway, I hope this answered your question!


	13. Chapter 13

"Finished."

The staff stepped back and Rima eyed herself in the mirror. Today, after a series of individual shots, she and Shiki were participating in the "spring" calendar shoot, adorned in the outfits that Rima had designed earlier in the semester. The calendar was one of those 18 month affairs, starting in July, but as they were taking the photos in early April, the agency still referred to it as the spring calendar. Admiring the blend of trendy and edgy, the blond model nodded in satisfaction. Shiki's suggestions on the sketch had been in good taste, and she was glad she had taken his advice. The final product radiated a sense of alternative, chic fashion. Exactly as she had hoped.

Beside her, Shiki was patiently suffering through a new coat of make-up. Unfortunately, his individual photos had taken longer than expected, so while Rima was able to take advantage of the break, her partner was not. She was pleased with her handiwork, though. His coordinating outfit suited him very well, especially since the colors complemented his hair and contrasted his eyes so well. She might have to try her hand at another matching ensemble in the near future, since this particular effort had turned out so well.

Glancing at her colleague, Rima saw this eyes had unfocused and dimmed, his body still as a doll while the staff worked over it. Lately, she really hated it, how he shut himself away sometimes in the dusty spaces of his mind. She wondered, as she had started to do more and more lately, what he was thinking. Where were his thoughts? Far...they were undoubtedly somewhere impossibly far away. They were an echo of disjointed sentiments fleeing before a fog that pitched everything into ruin. It seemed that although Shiki's body was warm and alive, his heart was infinitely cold. Not dead, perhaps, but lodged under a thick layer of ice. Because of his parents, he had transformed himself into a superficial robot.

And she wondered, as she did sometimes, if the heat of her blood might rouse his sleeping heart... She was uneasy, as well, because she wasn't sure what would happen if he ever looked at her, just once, with everything that was inside him. With the full force of consciousness, with a cloudless, vivid storm of a thousand shades of woken blue... A shiver gasped across her skin. She feared becoming a captive of those eyes.

"I'll be back," Rima told her partner abruptly. She needed to clear her head. "I'm going to walk around for a few minutes."

"Okay," he acknowledged, barely able to move his lips as the staff carefully applied the make-up for the next set of photos.

"Twenty minutes," one of the staff reminded her, and she nodded before shutting the door behind her, grateful to be alone in the hall.

Setting her mind to autopilot, Rima let her feet direct her path. Although she had worked here for a few years now, there was always something new popping up in one of the rooms. Sometimes, it was a new model, sometimes an announcement for a job opportunity plastered on the bulletin boards, sometimes a guest. Whatever was new or wherever her feet led her, though, she didn't mind. As long as it was away from her colleague.

Shiki... Exasperation pursed her lips, hovered in her lungs, the premonition of a sigh. She couldn't shake her thoughts of him, so perhaps it was better to let them run their course. Rima slowed her steps, recollecting the afternoon they had been sent to dispatch the Level E. She recalled the thirsty red of his eyes, the quiver of his lips, the twist of his neck as he mentioned his mother. The blond winced. Hana Shiki...had she bitten her own son? Did he feel disgusted? Trapped? Used? All of the above? But although Shiki had revealed something of himself to Rima, so much was left unsaid and hidden behind the concrete barriers of his eyes.

The mahogany-haired vampire was like a sorrowful word, an arrangement of melancholy syllables that perhaps could be rearranged into another, sweeter sound. Yet that word was one he never uttered, kept detained and silent behind the bars of his lips. Sometimes, she thought she could hear the vague semblance of admissions and revelations exhaled along with his breath, spoken between the gaps of words, but she could not begin to assemble them. A wild thought crept across the expanses of her mind, one she adamantly denied, that perhaps with a single kiss she could tangibly feel the shapes of those unsaid truths against her lips and on her tongue. What would they taste like there? Perhaps they would taste bitter, or perhaps like sweet, melancholic rain.

She shook her head. It was a passing fancy, nothing more. What would kissing Shiki accomplish? Even if she managed to seize his torments from his lips, he might still retreat far away from her. He had opened up to her a very, very little, and she couldn't expect to pry him open further. Besides...in small part, she already understood... Hana Shiki wasn't the same person that had illuminated the screens. Whatever she was now, it was vile and tragic and sunk its teeth directly into her partner's bruised heart. Rima shuddered. She couldn't imagine her own parents abusing her in such a way. Proud as they were, they would undoubtedly seek their own ends before falling to such depths.

Lost in thought, Rima's footsteps led her to the information office, where a large sign was posted for a film audition. She sighed, reading over the flier. It was going to be shot here in town and the surrounding area... Her father's warning words were ringing in her ears, but all the same she wavered uncertainly, unable to shake the desire to try. She knew the timing was terrible and the danger was high and yet...maybe she could finally make her dream a reality...

"Not yet." The two quiet words cracked through the silence like thunder.

Startled, Rima turned, shocked by the decisive tone of his voice. When she hesitated, the mahogany-haired model stepped forward, taking her hand firmly in his and leading her down the corridor, back towards the small room where they waited between photo shoots. She had been so lost in her own thoughts that she hadn't noticed his approach.

"Not yet," he repeated. "After we finish with school, I'll take you to properly audition."

A thousand thoughts clamored for attention in the aftermath of his statement. Shiki planned to help her? To accompany her himself? Moreover...to stay with her for all that time..? A flush spread outward across her heart. "You will?" was all she managed to ask.

"Yes. It's something you have to do, right?"

"Yeah..." she murmured, still stunned by his sudden declaration.

"There's such an intense aura emanating from you when you're thinking about acting... It would be a shame to waste it."

The blush was spreading to her cheeks now. "I won't live by hiding away," she declared. "I'll absolutely enter the world I admire."

He stopped then, turning his head toward her, and she watched in amazement as one corner of his mouth lifted slowly hitched upward into a crooked smile. "It's that passion that you shouldn't lose."

Against her gaze, his own gaze had transformed into mesmerizing blue. She was speechless, captivated by the abrupt emergence of vivacious color.

"I'll go with you," he said. "I think...it would be lonely again, without you." And then he was leading her back down the hall, the spell of his eyes and that lopsided smile gone.

"You're saying...you want to act?"

"With you," he affirmed.

Rima sucked in a small breath, flustered and oddly warmed by his unexpected decision. The urge to steal all of his secrets from his lips was flaring up again. These narrow glimpses of himself he offered were teasing her, inflaming her naturally curious tendencies. Each glimpse tempted her to discover more. This Senri Shiki, the one walking ahead of her now, was entirely different from her first impression.

"From the beginning, I've been thinking how annoying you are, because you never show yourself," she admitted with blunt honesty. "You're always hiding. But...I understand a little better now... If you say you want to go into acting with me, I won't refuse..." She trailed off, wondering if perhaps she had said too much.

His hand tightened around hers, the only response he offered. Staring down at their enjoined palms, Rima thought that going hand-in-hand like this wasn't so bad. Actually, the warmth of his skin and the faint thrum of his pulse against hers was...nice... For some reason, she wasn't letting go of that hand.

In front of the door to their waiting room, he stopped, and after a heavy pause, confessed, "Although...perhaps I'll be following in my father's footsteps that way..."

Rima shook her head decisively. "I'll stop you. I won't permit it, if you start becoming like Rido Kuran." She didn't think he would. Shiki was nothing like a pureblood, nothing like a Kuran. And anyway...hadn't Rido Kuran been driven mad by unrequited love? Her coworker's circumstances weren't at all the same.

The grip on her hand shifted, fingers entwining through hers now. Her blood pressure was quickening, but she forced it back and pinned his elusive eyes with hers, stating, "I promise."

Unbelievably, impossibly, the corners of his eyes subtly crinkled and his lips curved up into a second small, precious smile. A smile just for her. In that moment she was seized by the thought that Shiki was like the night sky, dark and silent and riddled with complexity...and even the smallest smile shone for her like the brightest star.

Without warning, her pulse accelerated, and she felt a strange, nervous pressure squeeze hot and uncomfortable around her heart. For the first time in her life, Rima Toya was entirely and inexplicably flustered.

* * *

 **AN:** Someone asked me why I write Rima as a blond. The answer is: I'm not entirely sure. I think because I read the manga first, and it's black and white, I always envisioned her to have more of a golden hair color. I didn't want to write her as a redhead and calling her orange-haired all the time would bother me, so I used my default gold hair that I've always thought of her as. Even though I know she has orange hair I still see her in my head as a blond. I'm really sorry that it disrupts the story for you... I don't want to go back and change the color now, because I'm afraid I'll miss some words and she'll end up blond in one paragraph and orange in another. Can you live with blond Rima? =( If it helps I'm not imagining her as blond-blond but more like a rich gold color...


	14. Chapter 14

Not again... She mentally counted in her head. So far this month, she knew of at least five confessions that had been directed at her colleague. Shiki took them all in stride; she'd never seen him become irritable with the girls, though similarly she'd never seen him display so much as a flicker of interest in even one of them. Admittedly, they were all the same: shallow, short-lived humans, but even so, this particular girl at least was cute for a human. Slightly curious despite herself, Rima lingered in the shadow of the trees, waiting for her partner to chase off the girl so that they could go to class.

"Shiki-sama!" the girl exclaimed, blushing vibrant red. "Um! I really like you!" She bowed twice in what Rima presumed was an attempt to hide her embarrassment.

Shiki glanced over at the trees, detecting the blond model's presence there, and Rima stiffened, embarrassed. She really shouldn't be eavesdropping...but it was too late to regret it now, she'd already been caught in the act. Besides, it was time for class. It wasn't odd for them to wait on each other to go there together. And anyway, there was a new student supposedly coming today, and she was mildly interested to know who it was.

To her surprise, Shiki directed the smallest smirk in her direction before answering the girl calmly, "Ah... I'm sorry, but... I already have feelings for someone..."

Rima narrowed her eyes. His uncharacteristic response was suspicious at best.

"Oh... It's Rima-san, isn't it? You guys are really dating..." The Day Class girl's blush deepened.

"Yes, that's right..." Shiki murmured detachedly, and sudden irritation crackled in the air surrounding Rima. No. No, no, and a million times no. Was it actually _Shiki_ who was perpetrating these rumors that they were dating? Did he think it would stop the humans from pursuing him? As if.

"Um. I like you but... I think you guys are well-suited for each other!" the human declared bashfully before making her escape.

Stepping forward now in barely contained aggravation, the blond asked, "Why did you say that?"

"Eavesdroppers should be punished..." Shiki commented dryly.

Unable to stop it, she felt her foot stamp against the ground. "This is how these rumors are spreading."

"What rumors?"

"The rumors that we're dating," she explained curtly.

"Congratulations to us," her colleague stated blandly, and removed the box of pocky from her jacket pocket before she could protest. Ignoring her furious gaze, he withdrew a cookie and said, "We're late to class...darling." His eyes gleamed with subtle, contained laughter.

"Shiki-kun." Her tone was a warning. "This isn't funny." She reclaimed the pocky box, returning it forcefully to her pocket.

In answer to Rima's glare, he asked, "Why does it matter what the humans think?"

Rima heaved a sigh. "Because Ruka-san will harass me about it. It's tedious." And because, if rumors spread enough and someone mentioned it to her parents, they'd be cross with her. She didn't feel like arguing with them. One battle at a time was enough. She'd won when she'd convinced them to let her come to the academy. After that, she'd start her acting career, and if she ever did want to date someone she knew they wouldn't approve of, that was a third battle she'd rather postpone.

"Ah... Sorry..."

"Now you say it..." she muttered. "Come on, we're late for class."

* * *

When Senri and Rima stepped into the class, the teacher still hadn't arrived. The mahogany-haired vampire glanced at the clock. They were only five minutes late themselves, but it was strange that the teacher hadn't arrived. Kaname-sama sent them a reproachful look, and both models gave a short bow before joining Ichijou.

"A new student who was admitted late, huh?" the vice president was muttering to himself by the window. "How mysterious, I smell a crime."

"Is he talking about a manga?" Senri asked his coworker in an undertone, puzzled by Ichijou's abrupt spout of weirdness.

"No, there's really a new student coming," Rima confirmed, passing him a stick of chocolate pocky.

A new student? Odd. He supposed someone had decided to join the Night Class partway through the year. He shrugged idly and murmured, "I'm hungry." With a look of exasperation, the blond model handed him another two sticks. He crunched the three together in a single bite, taste buds reveling in the hints of dahlias that lingered over the chocolate. A shiver passed down his throat.

"Nooo!" a loud voice rudely interrupted his enjoyment of the treats. "My pocky! I was going to give that to the dorm president!" Hanabusa Aidou confronted him, childishly angry.

Senri raised an eyebrow. As though Kaname would actually eat a snack like this... He glanced at Rima. Had she actually pilfered a classmate's pocky? A smile tugged at the back of his lips. Judging from her overly innocent expression and fascination with the tree growing outside the window...she had. The idea was amusing.

"I'm so glad. This seems like a fun class," a soft, unfamiliar, feminine voice sounded from the front of the classroom. Beside the desk stood a petite, silver-haired vampire that Senri assumed must be the new student. "Hey, hasn't class started yet?"

"You... Who are you?" Aidou demanded, a touch petulantly, obviously still worked up by the loss of his candy.

"By who...you mean me, right?" the newcomer leapt gracefully across the room, alighting on the desk in front of the blond vampire and touching his face with the appearance of gentleness. Yet...her eyes betrayed a malevolence that jolted him. Something about her tone, gaze, or touch had temporarily paralyzed the usually energetic Aidou, who appeared frozen.

"You should have introduced yourself first, Maria Kurenai," Kaname chided, breaking through the tension as he arrived through the back door of the class.

The silver-haired girl started, and a look of pure adoration flooded her features. Immediately, she launched herself across the room once more, crying, "I'm sorry for displeasing you! Kaname Kuran-sama! I'm so happy to be able to meet a pureblood!" To everyone's shock and dismay, Senri included, the newcomer began cuddling Kaname's hand.

"Nice to meet you..." The pureblood regarded the girl stoically, despite her audacity.

"Ah." She glanced around the room, noting the glares and surprised faces, and apologized, "I'm sorry. It looks like I've upset everyone. I guess I should excuse myself for the present." A moment later, the door shut quietly behind her.

For a brief interim, the Night Class remained frozen. A beat later, several of its members broke out in loud protest and anger. Kaname quickly took the matter in hand, saying, "Let's not be too harsh on Maria-chan. She is young and not used to society..."

By the window, Senri glanced and Rima and shrugged one shoulder, murmuring his analysis of the new student: "Annoying."

Ichijou answered with characteristic friendliness, "We should give her a chance nevertheless, don't you think?"

"No thanks," Rima muttered bluntly.

Senri nodded his agreement. The rest of the Night Class were obviously more than preoccupied with Maria Kurenai. The matter didn't require his participation as well. As with so many things, it was simply too troublesome to bother with, and he was glad that Rima shared the sentiment. Fortunately, by the time the teacher arrived, most of the mayhem had died down. Nevertheless, Senri doubted many students retained much of the lecture that day.

After class, Rima was the first at their table to stand up. "Shiki-kun, let's go," she bade him. He stretched lazily, stifled a yawn, and followed her out. As he passed through the door frame, however, he caught Ichijou's raised eyebrows out of the corner of his eye, and it abruptly occurred to him...

Since when had Rima started using his name so informally? He hadn't noticed until now, but she'd been addressing him that way all day today, and perhaps yesterday too, or even the day before. The suggestion of a smile tugged at the corner of his mouth. He most definitely enjoyed the way the change of title rolled off her tongue.

He glanced at her cautiously from beneath burgundy lashes. Rima was one of two people to address him that way. Still...he wondered...how would he feel if she used his given name instead? After all...the only other person who called him Senri was his mother...

He exhaled slowly. It was doubtful Rima would ever use his name so easily, and even if she did, he wasn't sure how he'd react to it. The sound of his name triggered memories of that large, empty manor and his mother's broken, incessant demands...

Or maybe...maybe he did want to replace such memories...with the electric hum of Rima's voice instead...

* * *

 **AN:** As always, review!


	15. Chapter 15

Senri sat up from where he'd sprawled out over his colleague's bed and claimed the majority of her pillows. Rima was cross-legged in the center of the mattress, reading through a magazine which featured several models from a rival company. He was perfectly happy to lounge around beside her, particularly when Ruka wasn't around, and they'd passed the evening that way, mostly in silence. Lately, several members of the Night Class, including Ruka, had been occupied with the new student, which was fortunate for him because it meant they were usually away from the dorm, investigating.

"What color tie should I wear?" he asked suddenly, thinking to the upcoming spring dance. Without asking, he assumed he'd be going with his coworker.

"What?" She gave him a puzzled look.

"To the dance... To match you...," he explained.

"I don't remember you ever asking me to go with you," she retorted, turning back to her magazine, a touch huffy.

"Will you go with me?" he inquired on cue, shameless.

This time, she shot him a glare. "First, you have to wear your uniform. That's the rule."

"Lame," he muttered.

"And secondly, the Night Class does not go with anyone. We're supposed to be free to mingle with the Day Class. That's how Ichijou-kun explained it last night while you were dozing off."

"I want to go with you," he grumbled. "I don't want to mingle."

Rima's lips curved upwards, though she only said, "Well, you have to."

"Hey... Why do you always wear your hair like this?" he asked abruptly, suddenly focusing on her hair and reaching out to touch the ends of the nearest pigtail. The silky, golden strands brushed lusciously across his fingertips.

"I don't know... It's my style." She shrugged, turning the page of her magazine and jotting some notes down as she assessed one of the outfits featured there.

Curious, he shifted towards her, rolling the pigtail into a tight bun against the side of her head. The effect was rather adorable. "You could put it up like this...," he suggested.

The blond vampire rolled her eyes. "I'd look silly."

"I think it's cute..." More than cute, even. Darling. The edges of his eyes crinkled almost imperceptibly in the hint of a smile Rima could not see. Yes, Rima was darling, though she'd probably be angry if he said so. Amused, he wondered how her hair would look in other styles. A braid, maybe? Or... Seized by a sudden idea, he leaned forward, unraveling the ribbons that held her hair up with a single tug. Immediately, a cascade of straight, shimmering hair tumbled and blossomed down over her shoulders, glittering as though studded with topaz in the lamplight. The subtle scent of flowers, damp and perfumed after a storm, rushed into his nose.

The model sighed. "Shiki... Put them back." The absence of any title on his name told him she was annoyed.

"In a minute," he demurred, running his fingers through the soft strands where they draped over her shoulder like a tributary river of gold. She sighed again, and he urged her, "Leave it down."

"No." The reply was immediate.

"Why...?" He frowned. Really, why? He'd never seen her with her hair down. Even in photo shoots, she insisted to leave it up and barely tolerated the staff to touch it. Tucking her hair behind the nearest ear, he wondered vaguely why she was permitting him to touch it at all.

She glanced at him now with the threat of a scowl twitching at her mouth. "It's mildly effective at discouraging suitors. And annoying my parents." When he gave her a confused look, she explained, "Mom and Dad have been trying to engage me for a while now. The last time I met one of the potential suitors, I wore my hair in pigtails and he balked. He thought I was too childish or something. That really bothered my parents, so I kept doing it."

He didn't respond, grasping onto her words like ice water. Engaged... No, worse...married, graduating, moving on to another stage of life that did not involve school or him. That would mean... _gone_. She was seated beside him, the light twinkling like gems in her hair, but he could imagine her absence. He was already missing her, the silence opening wide as a cavern around him. His heart sickened with loneliness and growled jealously, though he tucked those feelings away inside his chest and drowned them like sunken islands. How could he say these things when he should not be thinking them at all..?

"What?" Her question broke through the haze of uncomfortable emotion.

"Your parents are really doing that, aren't they..." He trailed off, unable to express these thoughts trapped in his heart.

"Of course. I've already told them I won't marry anyone unless they allow me to do as I please, but they would prefer if I removed myself from society. I won't budge from my opinion on the matter, though." She shrugged, obviously nonplussed by her situation.

"Hm..." Of course, he should have known...Rima couldn't stay with him like this, here at the academy, or even at work. Even though he was accustomed to her now, even though he was addicted to the scent of dahlias...one day, all too soon, it was inevitable that they would part ways. The idea was difficult to breathe around.

"Shiki-kun," she said rather abruptly, and he knew to expect a change of topic, "everyone else is really on edge lately because of the new student. Maria Kurenai, isn't it? Should we really be doing nothing?"

"Why not..? Kaname Kuran is dealing with it himself. We're not really needed." He raised and dropped on shoulder apathetically. The newcomer wasn't really any of their business, particularly not when the pureblood was stepping in. Even if it was, what would they be able to do about it?

"If you say so." A pause. Then, "Put my hair back up, already."

"You should wear it like this at the dance." Seeing that some of the strands had escaped, he tucked her hair behind her ear again, ignoring her request. It was fascinating to watch the patterns of light ripple through it.

"No, thank you." She stared at him expectantly, obviously waiting for him to return her ribbons, at the very least, which were held captive in his other hand.

"Your parents won't be there," he pointed out.

"No, but... I've worn my hair up for so long... It would draw too much attention." From her grimace, he knew she was picturing the vocal members of her fanclub.

"Then wear it down sometimes when it's just us."

"Why?"

"I brush Mother's hair at home sometimes... She lets it get so tangled and knotted... Yours isn't like that at all." His mother's hair was a dark, savage beast, tying itself into thick mazes. It was a testimony of madness, a solar system of its own which pulled all of her delusions into orbit around it. But Rima's hair... Rima's was soft and pure, a stark comparison to his mother's. Perhaps that was why he was drawn to it.

"You're strange," she stated bluntly.

"Yeah," he agreed. He couldn't offer her any better explanation when he didn't have one for himself.

"I guess it's alright," she said at last.

"My strangeness?" he asked, half-sarcastic.

"No. Leaving my hair down sometimes." A pause. "But only with you. Don't get any ideas about taking my hair down in public." She squinted at him in warning.

And like the sun peeking through rainy clouds, scattering the grey dreariness, a smile creased up one side of his mouth with pleasure. How pathetic of him...how dangerous, to crave these little pieces of her just for himself.

Unexpectedly, he sensed his coworker's pulse spike for a brief moment and glimpsed a tinge of pink brush across her cheeks before she turned her head rather quickly away from him.

He wondered why...

And finally began gathering up the molten gold of her hair to tie back in place.

* * *

 **AN:** Heh, Rima is a real sucker for those little smiles hehehe. Sorry for the short chapters lately, next time expect a much longer one =).


	16. Chapter 16

**AN:** I wasn't going to upload this chap so soon, but I'm going on vacation so apart from the _Blood and Ire_ fic upload on Monday, I won't be uploading anything while I'm gone. So, I thought I'd upload this a little early...though sadly there won't be any other updates until January...

Happy Holidays & Happy New Year, guys! I hope you enjoy your vacations!

* * *

It was the day of the dance, and Rima was less than enthused. Certainly, it was a change of pace, but neither did she appreciate being forced to mingle with Day Class students. Perhaps it would have been tolerable or even enjoyable if she, Shiki, and Ichijou could have gone together, undisturbed... She cut off the thought. As if that would ever happen, as long as the goal of the Night Class was to promote vampire-human relations. Choosing to push such futile thoughts aside, Rima instead examined her reflection, adjusting the black satin ribbons she'd used to tie her hair up in the customary pigtails.

It was funny, how humans and vampires alike placed so much value on mirrors. Mirrors were invaluable to her profession, but at the same time...a mirror could not truly reflect her. It showcased her beauty, a beauty that would last far longer than any flower, animal, or human woman. Yet, under the bludgeoning of centuries, that beauty would fade. It was, and would be, nothing more than a luxury, an accessory that she could bend to her will. Eventually, that beauty would crumble to ash and blow away in the wind. Why had she decided to make a career of something so frivolous? Staring back at herself in the mirror, her lips lifted into a slight smile. Modeling was a stepping stone to what she truly wished...acting. And...she had so very many centuries to occupy...she shouldn't begrudge herself a currently amusing pastime.

Lately, too, modeling had become a means of exploring Senri Shiki. He, like her, was a creature of beauty. An artwork. For Rima, art was never platonic. She was either captured and inspired by it, or she wasn't. She wanted to say that Shiki might be the first piece of platonic art she had ever encountered, but she feared it was otherwise. She couldn't forget the jealousy that had stolen her composure, the secret desire to feel his teeth at her throat, or the way she could slip away and travel across his eyes as though they were the ocean. More than anything, she couldn't seem to evade the strange way her heart sped the moment he offered her even the tattered semblance of a smile...even the mere memory of the smile he had shared with her just recently made her chest tighten involuntarily.

Taking a breath, she stepped back to regard herself. The black and blue gown she had chosen for the evening was lovely, elegant though perhaps a shade bold. Nodding to herself in satisfaction, she decided she was ready. She had applied a dark mascara and eyeliner to accentuate the black in her ensemble, and a touch of color to her lips, but mostly she hadn't applied much make-up. Honestly, she didn't need it, and it was too time-consuming unless she was doing a proper photoshoot. She glanced at Ruka, who was still curling the ends of her hair into immaculate perfection. It was almost pitiable, how much time and effort her roommate would dedicate to catching Kaname Kuran's eye...almost. If Ruka hadn't realized by now that the pureblood had no interest in her whatsoever, the girl was a lost cause.

"I'm going ahead," Rima stated.

"Okay. I'll be there soon," her roommate answered, a blatant lie as she was only on her first coat of make-up and not quite halfway through curling her hair.

"Alright," the model agreed anyway, slipping out of the room and down the hall to the dorm that Shiki and Ichijou shared.

Entering without so much as a knock, Rima discovered that the scene in this room was much the same as the one in her own. Shiki lounged on the bed idly; although he was as handsome as ever, she knew in an instant that he had done no more to prepare than run a brush through his hair. Even if she hadn't been a vampire, working with him on a daily basis had made her more observant of his habits. During the photoshoots, he took more pains with his appearance. It was obvious the dance rated less than a shoot. Meanwhile, the vice president was absorbed with the mirror, not unlike Ruka. He greeted her cheerfully enough, though his green eyes did not leave the glass.

"Are you ready?" she asked, folding her arms as she watched Ichijou primp his hair and critically examine his reflection for what she assumed was probably the millionth time.

Shiki nodded once and stood, gaze flicking to his roommate as he inquired drably, "Are you coming?"

"Of course!" the vice president answered brightly.

"I wasn't sure... There may be a strand of hair out of place..."

"Tonight we're supposed to look nice," Ichijou sniffed, joining them after one last, long look in the mirror.

"Ah, the vice president's intentions are obvious," Shiki whispered to her in a voice loud enough for their friend to hear.

"Yeah, it's been awhile since he tried to seduce a Day Class girl," Rima replied, fishing a pocky stick out of the box she had brought along in her pocket and handing it to her coworker. The habit was so ingrained in her at this point that she didn't even question why she was bringing the snack along with her to the dance.

"I am not trying to seduce anyone," the vice president defended himself pitiably.

"Sure," Shiki mumbled around his cookie stick.

"Ichijou-kun is like one of those old perverts who sits on a bench to watch the girls walk by," Rima added, tucking the box away again.

"Rima-chan!" Ichijou cried in despair. "Do you really think I'm old?!"

" _That's_ the part you disagree with?" Shiki asked with a raised eyebrow.

"Well, he can't possibly deny the perverted part," Rima observed.

Ichijou protesting loudly to their jabs, the trio made their way out of the dorm and into the Student Hall where the dance was being held. Most of the trip they went unnoticed, but a few Day Class students managed to notice or intercept them on the way there, babbling praises. Rima excused them each time in a brusque manner that should have offended them, but didn't. The humans were feeble creatures and far too easily impressed...she almost felt sorry for them.

The Hall itself had been decorated by the Day Class. For a human affair and a school event she supposed it wasn't bad. There were plenty of streamers and other random decorations, but the dance paled in comparison to the vampire soirees she attended. Even the events the modeling agency held put this to shame. Speakers blared popular music, a touch too loud for her sensitive ears, although the Day Class was enthusiastically dancing to it without any indication of discomfort. Nevertheless, in spite of her reluctance to participate in the ordeal, she appreciated that the glass doors of the balconies had been thrown open to permit the gentle scent of the crisp spring air to waft through the room and mute the crowding of human scents that inundated the space. There were other thoughtful touches as well. Against the far wall was an assortment of snacks and drinks, and in one corner huddled several chairs and a sofa for any students who either were tired of dancing or didn't want to dance.

Almost immediately, the three were ambushed by the human students. The girls were squealing in an annoying manner over the two boys, so Rima allowed herself to be pulled away by the male Day Class students, who were at the very least quieter and less assertive than Ichijou and Shiki's fanclubs.

"Rima-sama, you look beautiful."

"Will you dance with me tonight?"

"What do you think, Rima-sama? We prepared this room especially for you."

"Would you like something to drink?"

Fortunately, the model was practiced at effectively navigating situations such as this. Journalists and the press had interviewed her before, so she put on a professional face and dealt with her current predicament in much the same way. When she saw that Ichijou and Shiki were being led onto the dance floor, she accepted their requests to dance, and the group joined the large circle that was forming in the center of the room as a familiar tune played over the stereo system. Ichijou managed to place himself in the center of a group of no less than 10 girls, while she and Shiki sneakily maneuvered themselves side by side, leaving their friend to his flirting.

As the circle moved in unison to the right, a polished black shoe landed squarely on her foot. "Ow!" she hissed, immediately grinding her foot down upon the offending appendage. "Watch where you're stepping," she muttered to her coworker, who at least had the grace to look mildly abashed.

Using the dance to her advantage, Rima placed several other Night Class members within sight. As the circle did a full turn, she caught sight of Kaname dancing with the prefect out on the balcony. Really, she didn't understand why he was so interested in that annoying girl. Yuki was pretty for a human, of course, and petite in an attractive way, although a bit thick in the head and stubborn besides, but nonetheless... Rima thought that the girl's vocal, pushy, and naive personality overruled any cuteness she possessed.

The dance ended and the three were split up once more. Rima found herself interrogated by no fewer than fifteen students who all wanted turns dancing alone with her. She refused them all outright, but chatted with them anyway, which seemed to appease them. A distance away, she saw Kain separate Ichijou from one of the girls, and rolled her eyes discreetly. Whatever had happened, she was sure the vice president's intentions had been anything but pure. Ichijou may not have been a playboy like Aidou, but he certainly did love to flirt. As long as it wasn't directed at her, however, she decided it wasn't really any of her business.

The night carried on at a slug pace. Rima almost wished something scandalous would happen to break up the monotony. Of course, nothing happened at all, and she was forced to answer mindless questions on and on again until she felt that she might die of boredom. Vaguely, she wondered how her coworker was getting on.

* * *

Senri wasn't sure how long he'd been enduring the school dance, or as he mentally thought of it, the gauntlet. He had lost track of Ichijou a while ago, as the room had filled almost to a bursting point with the majority of both the Day and Night classes. Tiredly, the model looked around for some indication of the time and found no clocks or any other time-telling devices in sight. He held back a sigh. It had at least been an hour or two since they'd arrived. He hadn't danced more than once the entire night, although he almost regretted it. In the end, it might have been preferable to conversing with his fans. Really, the only condition that would have made the dance interesting would have been to come with Rima, but both she and Ichijou had insisted that he come alone, to _mingle_ or whatever it was they'd called it. All in all, it was a drag.

"Shiki-sama, you look very handsome tonight," one of the Day Class girls praised him shyly. An interesting observation, considering he'd come to the dance exactly as he would have to class on any other day. He didn't have a choice but to wear his uniform, and he hadn't done anything else special besides.

"Thanks," he murmured. To avoid further conversation, his eyes swept around the ballroom, finding it curiously devoid of familiar faces. Stepping closer to Rima, who was currently surrounded by a ring of her own fans, he asked, "Where is everyone?"

His colleague frowned and answered in a low voice, "I don't know. Aidou-san and Kain-san left a while ago...Kaname-sama and Ichijou-kun, too. Kurenai-san didn't even come to begin with."

"The Cross girl isn't here, either." Blue eyes flicked around the room thoughtfully. That was strange, now that he'd noticed it...

"Or Kiryuu," she observed. A pause, then, "It feels like something is going to happen..."

He nodded. "Well, I guess it'll be fine... Kaname-sama is going to take care of it, so..."

"Seems they don't need us." She shrugged.

"Yeah."

"Shiki-sama, are we boring you?" one of the girls interrupted timidly, glancing at her friends with apparent nervousness.

The model internally sighed. Yes, they were quite dull, as far as human girls went. Still, he should be flattered by their attentions. Moreover, it was good business for a model to treat any and all fans with respect. He was mildly interested to know why several prominent members of the Night Class had vanished, but Ruka and Seiren were still in sight at least, which was strangely reassuring. If Kaname were in danger, he knew both vampires would have been by the pureblood's side. So he dismissed the matter out of hand, deigning it unimportant.

"You aren't..." he assured the girl, who smiled in relief.

"Does Shiki-sama like dancing?" another girl inquired on cue.

Dancing required so much energy... "No...though I don't mind the music..."

"Oh! The piano is my favorite," she gushed. "Do you play any instruments?"

Abruptly, the smell of freshly spilt pureblood wafted through the air of the open balcony and blistered down his throat with a sudden fit of intense thirst. He didn't catch the stiffening of the entire Night Class, scattered around the ballroom. Didn't catch Rima's question; it was lost and muddled past the fog that clouded his ears. All he could do was shut his eyes and clutch his suddenly burning throat, lips locked tight to shield his fangs from view.

Words. Words, but he couldn't make sense of them. Then, "Come on," and Rima was guiding him from the room. Through the shield of his eyelashes, he could make out the floor enough to follow her.

"What's wrong with Shiki-sama?!" one girl cried.

"Shiki-sama, are you okay?" another asked anxiously.

He couldn't answer. Answering would mean opening his mouth, would mean tasting the sudden awareness of their body heat, of their delicate pulses and deliciously pumping blood that both teased and assaulted all his senses. His tongue felt like sandpaper, his throat...it was lost in an unquenchable fire. Pureblood... Who had spilled pureblood? He didn't recognize the scent, but he was helpless beneath its effect.

"He's sick. He hasn't been feeling well lately. Don't worry," Rima explained, appeasing his concerned...undeniably mouth-watering fans. He attempted not to breathe, to shut off his lungs. This was the worst he'd ever felt his thirst...to find even his troublesome fans palatable... "He needs some fresh air. We should be back soon."

A few moments later, Senri opened his eyes to realize two things. One, that Rima had escorted him from the ballroom and was leading him down the path back to the dorms. And two...that there was no one else around them. Aside from the pureblood that saturated the air, there was only one scent here...hers. His nostrils flared, unable to escape the aroma of her blood. His chest stopped, veins smoldering beneath his skin, arms rigid by his sides like iron bars in an attempt to cage himself and this thirst. The elusive perfume of that rich blood was taunting him, setting his own blood astir and glittering crimson across his eyes.

"No...not back to the dorm...that's where the scent is coming from." He shook his head, voice rough and strained.

"That's where the tablets are," she pointed out in a detached, composed voice.

Nevertheless, he didn't want to get closer to the scent that had set off this wave of bloodlust. "It'll pass."

"Don't be an idiot. Fine...get over here before the humans see you like this." She pulled him into the cover of the trees. It wasn't an ideal location, and he worried a human might accidentally stumble upon him in this state, but it was also dark and the Day Class was preoccupied with the dance. And...even if someone did pass by and see them...it wasn't beyond their abilities to erase memories.

"It will pass," he repeated, and he saw a stormy sky flare to life in her eyes.

"You'll drink Ichijou-kun's blood but not mine," she accused.

"Yes." Because there was no danger there. No addiction. No desire. No obsession. Nothing but blood to keep his thirst at bay.

"I promised you I wouldn't let you become like Rido, didn't I?"

"Yes..." Yes, but...

"So don't hold back," she stated simply, words quiet yet ringing like a command.

Without waiting for his answer, her nails carved twin wounds into the side of her neck, welling and spilling that precious, delectable blood. Two single droplets wound their way down her neck, pooling in the hollow of her collarbone. Immediately, the aroma was choking him, closing off his windpipe as he fought for sanity. Something hungry and sinister was whispering within him to cease fighting, to sink his teeth into her flesh, to possess the scent of those electric dahlias. His pulse flared. His throat burned. His chest spasmed. He wanted to give in. Desperately. Horribly. Ruthlessly. The sky was spinning and she was at the center, the scent of her blood sending him into a labyrinth of jarring, conflicting senses.

Don't hold back, is that really what she wanted? Honestly he hadn't wanted to hold back even from the beginning, had never wanted this doll-like existence anyway...but... But, his mother... But, his own sense of self-preservation... His body vibrated like glass. He was going to shatter and the fragments would slice open Rima's porcelain skin. But... How he wanted to... How he had wanted to for weeks...months...it felt like years...

Disjointedly, he stepped forward to pull her against him and press his lips to her exposed, tantalizing throat. Her arms twined around his neck, bringing him closer, the smell of her blood so close to him it blinded his senses. Traitorously, his tongue brushed against her skin, at last...at last sampling those scarlet, seductive droplets where they lingered on her skin. He tightly grasped that single, fragile moment in which he reined in his impulses, in which he simply tasted her blood without the urge to devour her entirely. And then his vampiric nature kicked in, instincts guiding his fangs into her delicate throat.

The moment his teeth broke through her skin, her blood crystallized in his mouth like sugar; he was transported by the blissful delirium of it. The taste of it curled sweetly around his heart and around his tongue, an aromatic wine that dizzied him with the first swallow. It dripped down his throat like honey, staining his insides with thunder and grace, with all that was Rima. He tasted storms and galaxies and cream, tasted liquid lightning. And a rising tide filled the space between his teeth and his tongue, bringing with it an undeniable truth. He craved Rima's blood. Hers, and hers alone...just as he'd known he would...and feared...

"Shiki-kun," she murmured, and the words resounded through her blood, "please, take better care of yourself from now on."

Reflexively, in response to her words, he swallowed more of her blood, let it flood his mouth and inebriate every taste bud. He did want to... He wanted to indulge in her blood when he was hungry rather than choke down the repulsive tablets. He knew this exquisite flavor would be forever etched into his tongue. It was so different than any other blood he had tasted, infinitely better. And the intimacy of the moment, the warmth of her slender form against him...it was bliss.

Despite every instinct begging him to slide his fangs deeper, to drink deeper still from her veins, he pressed his tongue taut over the wounds instead, catching the last of her blood as the puncture marks slowly closed up and faded. For a moment, he lingered there against her skin, experiencing a strange, foreign sensation of satisfaction he had never known before. He wanted to taste her again, to surrender all his principles and pierce the skin of her throat once more...but...somehow, now, there was a sated feeling coiling around him, whispering that, for today, it was enough.

Yet...just now...hadn't he also broken every promise he'd ever made his mother? He swallowed shakily, shifting away from his golden-haired coworker. He'd already been consumed by his worn-out thirst... Already given up his resolve... Already, he was walking down the path he'd sworn not to. And now he knew he could never return to pure apathy. Not now, not after this...

"You really don't listen." She sighed, reaching up wipe away a trace of blood from the corner of his mouth. "Didn't you taste my thoughts?"

He blinked, caught off-guard by the question. That was right...vampires had such an ability... But he'd been so hungry, so overwhelmed by the vampiric side of him...by his desire for her blood... He hadn't been able to focus on her thoughts so much as the taste of _her._ His tongue convulsed ecstatically with the memory. He shook his head.

Rima pursed her lips, withdrawing a handkerchief from her pocket. "Here," she handed it to him. "Well, how are you feeling?"

Unexpectedly, he answered, "Fine." He frowned, inhaling deeply, and discovered that, for once, the action did not cause him discomfort. Breathing the air around her was no longer like breathing in needles. Instead, it was tinged only with the sweetness of her scent. Distantly, he could still detect the pureblood wafting deliciously through the air, but this time it did not push him over the edge as it had before. "Better," he confessed. Much, much better...

Maybe Rima was right after all. Maybe he shouldn't worry. Maybe...maybe he should try taking care of himself just a little more. After all, right now he felt shockingly normal and at ease. Slowly, he raised the cloth to his mouth to remove the traces of her blood.

* * *

She'd been wondering for weeks now what his eyes might be like while drinking her blood. And she'd seen them as she'd scratched open her skin. She'd felt his warm lips skim over her pulse, his eyes incendiary, burnished red, and she'd shuddered in anticipation. Feeling his fangs puncture her skin, she'd felt a shiver of pleasure chase down her spine. And she'd known there against his body as he'd drunk her in...she'd been unable to repress the revelation as it scalded every nerve...

 _She liked Senri Shiki_. Pointlessly, infuriatingly liked him. That was why, maybe, it was best he hadn't heard her thoughts. Even if it was just a crush, a temporary infatuation, or whatever...

His eyes, ripped at the edges, pulled her back away from her troubled thoughts. Softly, she commented, "No one will punish you, even if this was technically against school rules." She took the cloth and wiped away the last smudge from the corner of his mouth before returning the handkerchief to her pocket.

"She'll know, though," he whispered.

"Maybe," Rima allowed. She knew from the look on his face that he meant his mother. "I've also done things to upset my parents." A pause. "Do you regret it?"

A strange emotion fluttered across the expanse of his eyes. He hesitated, sucked in a breath, and then confessed in a thread of a voice she had to strain to hear, "No. Not at all..." She thought perhaps his response surprised himself.

"Come on," she took his hand and he trailed after her back towards the dorms. "The party was getting boring anyway."

* * *

 **AN:** See I did say that this chapter would be longer hehe. Also I always thought it was weird in the manga how everyone could almost always smell blood no matter where it was on campus...seems so unrealistic...like okay Hino whatever you want, sure. Anyway, for the purposes of this fic, we'll just say pureblood is really strong and powerful. Idk about every little cut or scrape (or bite hehehehe), but I guess they can smell the pureblood from a greater distance.

And review!


	17. Chapter 17

The truth had come out about Maria Kurenai not long after the dance. Walking back to the dorm after a midnight stroll, Rima commented to her coworker, "It seems like she was possessed by a pureblood."

"Shizuka Hio," Shiki supplied the name.

"Yes... As we thought, we weren't needed at all."

"Purebloods are very powerful..." He trailed off, not finishing the thought, which came across as a blatantly obvious observation. "Possession..." he murmured at last, but she didn't know what he was thinking.

"They would have to be very powerful indeed to possess someone who wasn't a close relation. Although I heard they were cousins? Anyway, it seems like Maria volunteered."

"She isn't staying..?" he inquired.

"No, I heard she was going home." Rima shrugged. She hadn't really asked after the Kurenai girl. The only important piece of information was that Shizuka Hio was dead, supposedly slain by the prefect Zero Kiryuu, although that didn't quite add up. If she suspected anyone, it was Kaname Kuran himself, but she knew better than to voice such an opinion aloud.

"Everything ended well."

"Yes."

The spring flowers lining their path fluttered and tossed their petals in the breeze as though in agreement. The trees, however, were scarcely stirred by the wind's intimate touch, stretching away towards the luminary orb that swelled high overhead. In the moonlight, the highlights of Shiki's mahogany hair glinted like dark rubies, lustrous and beautiful.

The pair walked on in silence, the kind of silence that Rima usually welcomed. However, suddenly, strangely, the blond model wanted more. That silence raged violently through her veins; she swallowed dryly. Ever since the night of the dance, ever since the abrupt realization of her feelings for her coworker, she had been plagued with intrusive thoughts, all of them ending or beginning with her fangs piercing the mahogany-haired vampire's throat. She wanted to know more about him, to understand what lie on the other side of these silences. Although she was far more in tune with him now than when they'd first met, she could still rarely guess his thoughts when they were alone.

It frustrated her. Rima had been hungry before, had even experienced bloodlust, just as all adolescent vampires did when they went through puberty. But this was different. She felt as though she _needed_ to taste him, to comprehend him a little more, to satisfy this dry, raw thirst that constantly itched in her throat. She didn't like the feeling, disliked how it distracted her from class and stole away moments of precious slumber. Maybe under normal circumstances she could have put an end to it by simply biting him, but this was Shiki. Craving his blood achieved nothing but vexation, because if she did bite him she may end up triggering all of the pain his mother had inflicted on him. He might close off from her or push her away, or she might hurt him beyond all forgiveness. She wasn't about to risk any of those things.

Most troubling of all, however, was this newfound infatuation. Now that she was aware of it, she was more aware of him. More than before, she had to curb her reactions and control the telltale changes in her heart rate. It was tiresome, but if Shiki hadn't read it in her blood, she wasn't about to admit that she was attracted to him. Hopefully in time it would pass and she wouldn't have to preoccupy herself with it anymore. What end could this _liking_ possibly have, anyway, besides disappointment?

For now, unable to escape these feelings, she breathed in the rain and twilight of his blood and relaxed. Passing the time with him like this imparted something like contentment. These brief, tranquil moments were preserved for just the two of them, outside the mundane reality of their daily lives.

"Are you going home for the summer break?" she asked suddenly.

"Yes... Although it's a while from now..." His answer came slowly, underlined with apparent reluctance. The way he wouldn't quite meet her eyes as he said it, she knew he was unhappy.

Rima hadn't really considered the break; it was still weeks away, but she supposed she'd have to go home as well. Unexpectedly, the thought tightened uncomfortably in her chest. She wondered how it would be to pass so many weeks without her coworker after being with him every day...

"I guess we'll have to take a work vacation, too, since you don't live nearby..." she mused. What on Earth was she going to do without school, work, or Shiki? The break was shaping up to be downright torturous. Rima knew how her parents would want her to pass her time: attending soirees and meeting potential suitors.

"Yeah..." The melancholy in his voice resounded through her ears.

To change the subject, she questioned, "Did Ichijou-kun ever get into trouble with any of those Day Class girls?" She doubted that the vice president had, though she was curious. Neither she nor Shiki had gotten into any trouble for their own...breach of the school rules. Although, she wasn't sure anyone had even noticed amongst the chaos of the day.

A vaguely amused expression replaced the distant one. "Not that I know of."

"What a shame."

"What about Ruka-san?" he inquired out of the blue.

"What do you mean?" She frowned.

"Every time I meet you before class now, she's in the room," he pointed out.

That was observant of him. Ruka _had_ been cooped up in the room for days now, sulking. Rima was growing impatient with her. "Kaname-sama rejected her, that's all," she explained. Ruka had been naive enough to confess, for maybe the third or fourth time, and naturally she had been rejected again for the third or fourth time. The girl simply didn't learn, and no amount of knocking on the door or pleading from Kain had gotten her to come out. The model pitied the redhead. Kain should really move on himself, but he was utterly devoted to the honey-haired noble. Ruka wasn't worthy of his affections by half.

As they entered the Night Dorm, Shiki stated, "It's annoying."

Rima quashed a smile. "You only find it annoying because you want to hang out in my room."

He shot her an almost harried glance. "Ichijou-kun is always in our room... And when Ruka-san is in the dorm too much, the smell is nauseating."

That was true. Rima could scarcely breathe around the choking cloud of flowery perfume that weighed down the air of the room they shared. If only they had been allowed separate bedrooms... Or if only she had been rooming with literally anyone else... It was fortunate that between class and her modeling schedule she was rarely in the dorm.

"Well, Ichijou-kun doesn't smell as bad as Ruka, at least," Rima said.

"Just let those two room together..." Shiki muttered and Rima blanched. The idea of two of the strongest smelling vampires in the Night Class sharing a room together was frightening.

The pair came to a stop. Down the hall to the right was Rima's room, to the left Shiki's. A beat passed, and then the two turned in opposite directions.

"Good night."

"Good night."

She wanted to stop these feelings, but instead of shutting them off, she wished the Night Dorm did not have quite so many rules, and that she did not have to part with him at all. Already, she wanted the next evening to come, because the air she breathed without his scent to tinge it just didn't feel right anymore.

-o-

 _"Just live like a doll."_

He had. He'd flicked the "off" switch and buried his heart underground. There, feeling as if he was lying on his own grave, he had fallen asleep dreaming of light, of departed ambitions, and woken brokenhearted and alone. He'd injected numbness and apathy into his veins like a drug until he could no longer remember the blue of the sky or the green of the leaves. Until all that was left to him was grey. The endless, eternal grey of a thousand winters that bleached out his vision and marched through his ears like the sound of death. And slowly, carefully, he had hollowed himself out into emptiness.

In the vastness of that emptiness, something, he didn't know what, had disappeared inside him. Sometimes at night he could feel it creeping ever closer, like the sharp breath before a plunge that never came. The silence encased him, and suddenly this feeling of defeat rained down to dampen all the colors to grey. The grey midnight rain insisted against his skin, never easing, never fading, battering him down into unease, fatigue, and apathy that stained the sheets beneath him. There, alone, his body curled tightly on the bed and his stomach knotted empty on nothing, he felt the faint spark of his lost self. That desperate, tiny spark carried her to him. Scents, feelings, sounds, all of them reminded him of her, all of them brought with them an implacable, unforgettable sweetness that he could not drive away.

He was helpless against it. Helpless against that tidal force of sapphire electricity. Helpless against the intoxicating reminiscence of her blood in his mouth. That blood had seeped through his veins, feeding directly to his heart and revealing at that deepest place within him the very essence of her. And he was seduced more by her free, unfettered heart and her idiosyncrasies than by the sensual perfume of her heated blood or her striking features. He was undeniably, unequivocally seduced by her charming bluntness and subdued humor, by her artistic flair, by her calm aura... Everything, everything converged around him, weaving together in a web that was Rima.

And he wanted it all for himself. Possessively. Perilously. Like an abandoned house, he should have kept himself shut. All the doors and windows should have remained tightly closed and locked, yet he had let her in. Perhaps one day that front door would slam shut and trap her inside, a prisoner to the insidious blood that infected his veins. Perhaps one day the memory of her blood would corrode his throat like poison until he was engulfed by the flames of thirst and desire, until he needed more and more, until he drained her dry of her very life...

For now, she had threaded together the rags of his body with her with the taste of her warm veins. Lately, he dared to want her to stitch him back further with a kiss... Increasingly, he was becoming aware of these budding desires, of the long-buried emotions, and most of all...he was becoming aware of himself. And while he might be standing at the precipice of a terrible doom, he also considered tempting fate. Because, after all, wasn't he special? Rima, she didn't choose her friends carelessly. Somehow, she had found him worthy enough to speak to and to walk beside. She had never once breathed a word of friendship, but he knew that they were. That should be enough, although the traitorous part of him selfishly wanted more.

He was transfixed by her. Her voice exhaled art, her eyes pulsed with lightning and poetry, her skin reflected moonbeams. Her presence was like a bell, calling to him, rousing his comatose soul and at the same time soothing it. He did not feel so torn when she was there. Each taste bud vividly recalling the flavor of her blood, his cheeks crept up into a small, lingering smile.

Drifting off to sleep in the dawn, his lips bloomed with her name.

* * *

 **AN:** Hoho, now even Rima can't deny that she likes him...Hehehehe...


	18. Chapter 18

Senri squinted against the accosting, brilliant sunlight that streamed in the window and frowned at his roommate. It was far too early to be awake, and yet there Ichijou was, fully dressed and lovingly running a finger over a series of manga titles on his bookshelf. The model sighed, rolling over and pulling the blankets over his head in an attempt to shut out the blinding light.

"Go back to sleep," Senri mumbled.

"No can do," the vice president negated. "The new _Love Love Miracle_ volume releases today!"

Beneath the covers, out of the blond´s sight, Senri rolled his eyes. Takuma Ichijou had to be the only male on the planet who would be caught dead purchasing a copy of such a blatantly shoujo romance manga.

"Then go away," the model insisted, curling up into a ball in the middle of his mattress in protest.

"But I wanted to read the previous volumes again… To refresh my memory… It´s been a month already."

"Take them out into the common room."

"The others will ridicule me," Ichijou complained.

Senri shoved his face into his pillow for a moment in exhaustion before extricating himself from the bed and standing. He and Rima had worked a particularly long photoshoot yesterday, and despite the naps he had snatched during the breaks, he was tired.

"Are you getting up now? Do you want to go with me?" the blond asked brightly.

"No," the burgundy-haired vampire denied, heading for the door.

"Then where are you going?"

"Rima-chan," he grumbled, rubbing his eyes as he shuffled out.

"Hey, wait a minute! You can´t go there!" Ichijou was staring at him…weirdly.

"Bye." And he was out the door.

"Seriously! I´m the vice president and I can´t allow that!" the blond insisted, following him out into the hall; a rather useless exercise, because Senri had no intention of turning back.

"Why not?" He paused, turning sleepy, baleful eyes towards his friend.

"You can´t sleep in any of the female dorms, it´s the rule."

Well, that was dumb. Especially given that his roommate sometimes seemed more girly than Rima. "Ruka-san isn´t there," he rationalized, and continued down the hall. "She left on a weekend shopping trip…or something…" Thankfully. Shiki had thought she would never come out of the room again after Kaname Kuran had rejected her.

At a loss, the blond attempted to detain him again, "You´re not dressed."

"Am, too." He pointed to his boxers with an exasperated sigh. Really, Ichijou was such a prude, sometimes. It was his fault, anyway… Who read an entire manga series this early?

"Hey," the vice president said, suddenly more serious. "Are you two really getting along?"

Senri blinked. "Who? Rima-chan?" When the blond nodded, he replied simply, "Of course." He didn't say it, but thought _'Now let me sleep.'_ He continued down the hall, ignoring Ichijou's renewed protests.

As he'd expected, Ruka wasn't in the room, so he pushed open the door and walked into Rima's dorm without a second thought. The room was blessedly dark. Shiki ignored Ichijou's hiss of, "Shiki-kun! This isn't allowed!" and climbed into bed with his coworker. Rima was a deep sleeper, but between Ichijou's whispered nagging and Shiki shifting the mattress as he adjusted a pillow for himself, there was no way that she could remain asleep.

Groggilly, Rima pushed him away, muttering, "Hey. You can't sleep here."

"Ichijou-kun is being mean," he pleaded, glancing at the vice president, who was giving him an indignant look, as though to say, ' _I told you so. Can't sleep there.'_

"What…" She frowned, still half-asleep, and Senri thought her sleepy expression and loose golden hair were rather adorable.

"I am not!" Ichijou protested, exasperated.

"You have the blinds open…" he grumbled, sliding under the covers despite Rima's weak protestation.

" _Love Love Miracle_ is releasing today!" the blond cried indignantly.

"Good grief…" Rima groaned. "Fine, you can stay." Senri wasn't sure if it was because of Ichijou or because she was too fatigued to fight it.

"I can´t allow this!" Ichijou insisted from the doorway.

"Bye, Mr. Vice President." Rima rolled over, towards the model and away from the annoying presence hovering in the entryway.

"Rima-chan! Shiki-kun!"

"Goodnight," Senri mumbled, shutting his eyes and blocking his friend entirely out of his awareness. A few long moments later, the vice president gave up and left, disgusted. Senri took the opportunity to shift closer to his coworker, enjoying the warmth that emanated from her side of the bed and the unique aroma of her blood. "Rima-chan smells nice," he murmured, fading back into slumber now that he was once again wrapped in silent darkness.

"Mm," came the unintelligible reply, and Senri felt the ghost of a smile nudge his lips. His partner was already back asleep, the shadows of dreams already sweetening the darkness behind her lids with a fairy touch.

The mahogany-haired model relaxed, inhaling Rima's alluring perfume, tracing her sleeping form with half-lidded eyes. Senri had rarely seen his coworker without her trademark pigtails, but here, burrowed down in the blankets, her golden-orange hair spilled freely across her pillow like molten, yellow fire sparking across a snowy field. Cautiously so as not to disturb her, he reached out, fingertips rediscovering those tresses to be silky soft. The fragrance of shampoo clung to those burnished threads, subtle but appealing. He really did love her hair...

And then his eyelids were dragging down, and where they met dreams of thunder and Rima rolled across the black.

* * *

Rima stirred, roused from darkness by some biological mechanism hidden within her that insisted that it was time to wake. Her muscles felt lazy, peacefully curled beneath her skin, pleading with her to slumber once more... Despite the siren call of sleep, her dreams were transfiguring from sweet fantasies to muddy, vague and splintered images, but she cast them away as one might shed a skin, blinking slowly in the darkness as she stirred each muscle from sleep.

Almost immediately, memory cleared in her foggy mind, sharpening as her body encountered the shape of another. Fully awake now, Rima frowned groggily, unsettled by the form of her coworker nestled against her side, arms and legs languidly entangled with her own. As a noble vampire, she had never been asked to share a room before coming to the academy, and she certainly had never shared her bed with anyone. But she wasn't sure if she found it unpleasant. The warmth Shiki's body emitted and the slow rhythm of his heart lulled her back into drowsiness. Maybe she wasn't ready to wake after all...

Before she could fall back asleep, however, she both saw and felt her colleague stir, and a moment later his eyes opened heavily. "Evening," he mumbled after a pause, though he didn't make an effort to twitch even a muscle.

"Good evening." She sighed, extricating her limbs from his and sitting up. Her partner grumbled, rubbing his eyes before finally sitting up himself and reminding the golden haired model exactly how he'd come to her room the previous morning. "Geez... Good thing Ruka-san didn't come back today." She couldn't believe she'd let him sleep with her.

"Why?" He rubbed his head then and laid back down, evidently deciding he wasn't in the mood to get up.

"She'd throw a fit if she found you like... _that_...in my bed." A gesture towards him. And his scantily clad body.

"Like what?"

"Okay, bye," she retorted, ignoring the question. "Go back to your own room now."

"No." He buried his head back into the pillow he had stolen.

Rima stared at him, a touch exasperated. "Why not?"

"I like it here better," he stated simply, wrapping himself in a tangle of blankets and pillows that would be very difficult to remove him from.

"...Why...?" she asked, at a loss.

"It smells nice...it smells like you."

What? She felt her cheeks heat. Did he like her scent then? Her heart shivered. Even if he did, she undoubtedly liked his more... After all, she was the one who sometimes considered... She shook her head. She refused to pursue such thoughts. "...Fine. Stay there." And with that, she rather decisively got out of bed.

"No..." Shiki complained rather pathetically as she selected an outfit from her closet. Today she was in the mood to wear shades of emerald green and viridian. "Rima-chan..."

"When Ruka-san walks in the door, I'm feigning ignorance. I was already awake when you stole my bed," she stated, moving to her dresser now for green ribbons, socks, and undergarments. The last items she chose with a sidelong glance at Shiki, but the model wasn't paying her any attention, lost in a fortress of pillows and blankets. Anyway, even if he had seen, she couldn't really be embarrassed around him; not when they modeled together.

"Come back," he mumbled.

Without answering, she took her bundle of clothes into the bathroom and began her evening ritual. She brushed her teeth and took a warm shower, slightly irritated that she had to get dressed in the bathroom today, and changed into her green ensemble after combing her hair. Eyeing the ribbons in her hand, she debated drying her hair and immediately tying it up as she normally would have. But no, time was short today. Tucking the ribbons temporarily into her pocket, she decided to attempt to remove Shiki from the bed again before her roommate returned.

When she came out of the bathroom, she saw that her coworker had fallen back asleep. She blew out a sigh and sat at the edge of the bed, debating the best way to wake him. Admittedly...he was rather cute...asleep and hugging one of her pillows... If the Night Class hadn't had to share dorm rooms, she would have let him sleep there. It wasn't as if the thought had never crossed her mind before, given how very much time he spent in her room. He wasn't bothering her, not really, but if Ruka came back... She frowned, imagining the noble's reaction.

"Shiki-kun." She poked his cheek. When he didn't stir, she tried again, this time shaking his shoulder a little. This time, his eyes cracked open. "Come on, Ruka-san will be back any minute now."

He didn't respond to her words, instead reaching up to touch the strands of wet hair that were dripping water onto her top. "Your hair is darker," he murmured.

Rima forced herself to remain patient. She needed him to leave so she could dry her hair. She might have to change her clothes anyway, considering the damp stain the ends of her hair was leaving in the fabric. "It's wet," she told him simply.

"Don't tie it the same way today," he tried, and she rolled her eyes.

"Shiki-kun." Her tone was a warning. "You know I will." He sighed, slowly sitting up now, and she narrowed her eyes at him. "What, do you think the pigtails look bad?"

His eyebrows flicked up in unison. "Not at all."

"Then..?"

He stood, stretching lazily, and then turned to her and explained, "You said you'd only wear your hair different if it was just us."

"Yes..." She stared at him, uncomprehending. He was probably still half-asleep and didn't know what he was saying. Shiki was weird.

"So wouldn't that mean that we were spending the day alone together?"

Unexpectedly, she felt her face heat up, and straightened the covers on the bed for a moment to hide it. Truthfully, she wanted to spend the day alone with him, too... Sometimes, she felt selfish enough to want him all for herself, even though she knew that was impossible. Hearing such words, though... Rima gave herself a mental shake. She shouldn't think too deeply into it. It wasn't as though Shiki liked her, not the way she liked him. Hadn't he told her as much, the day they'd hunted the Level E together? He'd told her that he wasn't going to form any attachments...

"There's no way we could do that," she answered. "Not here on campus or in the agency."

The subtle fall of his shoulders indicated his disappointment. Distantly, both of them detected Ruka's familiar scent, and Shiki straightened. "Another time," he suggested, heading for the door.

Grateful that he was leaving before he got her into trouble, she nodded. "Another time."

Her coworker passed into the hall and Rima returned to the bathroom to dry her hair. Another time, huh..? When would that be? They were never truly alone, not on the campus or at the agency, and Rima doubted they'd be going anywhere else anytime soon. Nevertheless, as she fastened the ribbons in her hair, she had to admit...the idea was a bit exciting...

* * *

 **AN:** Rima and Shiki don't seem to mind the school rules too much, do they? Imagine how scandalized Ruka would be if she knew? It makes me almost wish she had walked in on them hehehe.


	19. Chapter 19

**AN:** Okay, I could be wrong about this, but I seem to remember that Shima did not go to that soiree where Kaname snuggled up to Yuki (in the anime it happened at the beginning of season 2 but in the manga I can't remember). In the anime, they go, but I don't remember seeing them there in the manga (that doesn't mean they didn't go, but whatever). Anyway, for the purposes of this story/chapter, they don't attend.

* * *

Senri forgot how time had passed before Rima. There were only two ways to measure time, now. There were the moments spent with her, and the moments spent without her. The latter category drug on slower and more tedious each time he was forced to suffer through them. He wasn't sure how he was going to survive the long weeks of break without her. Actually, he would have asked her to visit him if he could, but...

 _But._

He shook his head. Although Rima might wish for it, he did not want to introduce her to his mother anytime soon. He wouldn't invite her to visit, even if the weeks of break loomed long and bleak over his head. Another option might have been to remain at the academy, but he couldn't very well avoid going home and leave his mother alone. And then, judging from the way Rima spoke of them, her parents most likely would not approve of any visits between them during the break. Perhaps, if their families had shared the same political views...

"Are you sure you're not coming?" Ichijou asked, breaking through his thoughts.

"I'm sure," he murmured, feeling something almost akin to impatience as the vice president straightened his tie in the mirror. _Go, already_ , he thought.

"Everyone else is going," the blond pointed out.

"That's nice."

A pause. Green eyes shifted to him through the glass. "Actually, is Rima-chan going to the soiree with us?"

"Who knows?" the model replied ambiguously. "Go ask her."

"Shiki-kun... Don't break any school rules while we're gone." The blond's tone was chastising. He was still aggrieved over their last breach of the school rules, which he had been a helpless bystander to.

"I told you I don't know..." A lie. He was going to have both his coworker and the Night Dorm all to himself for several hours.

Ichijou sighed, although fortunately didn't press the subject. Instead, he merely said, "Well, see you when we get back, then."

"Have fun," the burgundy-haired model murmured, mood lifting as the vice president waved and stepped out of the room. Instinctually, Senri followed the trail of his friend's scent down to the common room, where it lingered for a while, until it finally disappeared out the door. He waited for a few minutes, just to be certain that they were really gone, and then made a beeline for Rima's room.

"Rima-chan," he sighed happily as soon as he was inside, leaping onto her bed and confiscating a pillow. It was imbued with her subtle, delicious scent.

She shot him a look of irritation. "If Ruka-san forgets one of her toiletries and comes back here, you're in trouble."

"They're gone." He sat up suddenly, staring at her ribbons intently. "And you did say..."

He wasn't sure, but perhaps for a brief moment her cheeks colored a pale shade of pink. "Yes, yes, I said," she muttered, reaching up to untie them. A moment later, and the golden hair was released, spilling down to frame her pretty, angular face.

Senri smiled, elated. He was being selfish again, but the physical proof that he had her all to himself for the day tightened within his chest in a dangerous way. Rima glared at him, the pink flush painted over her cheeks again, but he was too happy to mind.

"Well, did you have something in mind for the day?" she demanded, not looking at him, her eyes fixed on some speck of the wall. He glanced at it idly, although he didn't see anything of interest, not even flaking wallpaper.

"We could replace all of Ruka-san's blankets," he suggested. That might help mute the honey-haired vampire's scent somewhat.

His reply elicited a laugh from Rima. "She'd kill us."

"We could run around the Day Class' campus. Or hide Ichijou-kun's manga collection around the Night Dorm." Both of those ideas were vaguely interesting, anyway.

"You really want to get us in trouble when the others return, don't you?" She rolled her eyes.

"Then I want to nap," he decided, immediately settling down on the bed where he was. The last time he had fallen asleep here, he had slept far more deeply and peacefully than he normally did. Rima's scent was soothing; even unconscious it seemed to pacify him.

"Shiki-kun..."

The downward slant of her eyebrows should have deterred him, but this was a rare opportunity. Ignoring her, he pulled one of her pillows against his chest and relaxed, breathing in a heady rush of her scent.

The blonde model blew out an exasperated sigh. "Alright, you can sleep here. I'll be outside, reading." With that, she started to scoot off the bed, intending to leave him there alone and spoil the entire nap.

Miffed, he sat up halfway, reaching out until his fingers encircled her wrist, gently detaining her. "No...with you," he clarified. What was the point if she wasn't there?

* * *

Rima blinked. Startled, she didn't know how to respond. How _should_ she respond to such a request? She hesitated. Of course she wanted to... The last time he'd slept here, she'd been able to breathe in traces of his scent for a few nights after...

"Please," he murmured, dusky eyes burning away any refusal she might have mustered. "Before we have to go home..."

So that was it... Worried, she acquiesced and settled herself beneath the blanket. Shiki relaxed, releasing her, and she carefully ventured to ask, "You really don't want to go home..?" She knew the topic was a sensitive one, but she was concerned. How much of the blue that had surfaced this semester would remain in his eyes when he came back again?

He shuddered slightly at the question. "I have to..."

"Couldn't you go home with Ichijou-san?" she suggested.

"No. I have to..." He took a breath. Then, "I have to make sure she's alright."

Rima nodded. She understood that much, even if it unsettled her to think that when they returned to campus he might be entirely grey again. A husk.

"Maybe you could arrange to come back to campus a few days early?" she proposed. "For work." The idea sounded rather appealing.

"Mm, maybe." Despite his tone, she thought some of the glum lifted from his eyes with the possibility. Then he adjusted the blanket around him and said, "Let's sleep."

Rima smiled with a touch of exasperation, rolling over to set her alarm. Two hours should be enough time for a good nap. She closed her eyes, relaxing against the mattress, and gradually felt herself drifting off, the warmth emanating from Shiki's body and the soft rhythm of his breathing lulling her towards unconsciousness almost instantly. She thought it was almost instinctive, how she automatically relaxed and breathed more easily when he was at her side. It was the same way she'd come to like him: naturally and inevitably. And before she was even fully asleep, she knew her dreams would be restful and sweet.

* * *

The ringing of the alarm startled them from slumber. Rima stirred reluctantly, rubbing the sleep from her eyes and sitting up so as not to fall back asleep. With one hand she silenced the clock and with the other she roused Shiki, who was still stubbornly clinging to sleep. Grumbling, he opened his eyes, staring darkly at the time. The others were due back within the next hour, and Rima was in no mood to be discovered breaking the school rules by Kaname.

"They're not back yet..." her coworker protested pitifully.

"Fine, but in that case I'm leaving and had no clue what you were doing."

The mahogany-haired model muttered something into the pillow he was holding and sat up slowly. "We could nap again in the common room," he suggested.

"No." She shook her head. She paused, then, "Get up for a minute. I want to straighten the bed."

Shiki sent her a long-suffering look, but complied, and she set about adjusting the pillows and blankets so they were far less incriminating. When she finished, he sat back at the edge of the bed, half-facing her. "Only another two weeks until break..." For most of the students of the academy, those words would probably have been voiced with excitement. From Shiki, however, they were tinged with melancholy.

"Maybe you should take some more blood before you go?" She touched her throat, and her heart twisted at the very mention of that idea. If he drank from her a second time, it was almost certain he'd discover her feelings for him... But she couldn't stand the broken expression that shadowed his face.

She heard him take a breath. For a moment, he looked back at her, and she saw red filter through the blue. Her heartbeat increased anxiously in anticipation of his acceptance and in response to the sudden intensity of his glowing eyes. Then he grimaced, shaking his head. He looked away from her. "No, that's not a good idea..."

Disappointment and relief vied for dominance. "Why not?" she demanded at last. Regardless of her personal dilemma, it was more important for him to properly take care of himself.

His answer came disjointedly, although without the lengthy hesitation he would have given a month before. "My mother. I promised her... I swore not to form any attachments. She'll already know, but... I can't...I don't want to face her after breaking that promise. It would be worse, knowing I'd done it recently..."

"You're not making sense." The relationship Shiki had with his mother was a strange one. She understood that he felt obligated to return home; she felt that way, too. Aside from that, however...

"She'll be disappointed...maybe angry..."

He trailed off, and from the weight of the silence, she knew not to expect anything more from him. Unsure how to respond, the blonde model leaned against his back, providing what little comfort she could. She wasn't very good at expressing sympathy, even if she did feel it. And she did. She hated not being able to do more. She wished she could visit him during the break, even as she knew that wish impossible. Her parents expected her home, and more to the point, if she did visit Shiki, she would risk the wrath of not only them, but all of her extended family, as well. For her to visit the home of a _male_ vampire who supported the _monarchy_... It would be like Doomsday. She winced just imagining their reactions.

"Hey...Rima-chan...," he said after a few minutes.

"Hm?"

"Thank you."

The model shrugged lightly against his back. "You're welcome."

The offer came easily, although seriously, from his lips, "Next time I'll give you some of my blood, okay?"

Rima froze, glad he couldn't see the sudden burst of scarlet that overtook her gaze. Suddenly, his scent weighed far too heavily in the air. She could no longer remember how long she'd been thirsting for the agar and rain of his blood. She felt tense and agitated down to her bones.

"It's only fair...," he explained.

Only fair..! He wasn't wrong, but... "If you want," she managed to answer casually. She did want it. Badly. She'd wanted it for days, weeks, maybe months, but she'd always told herself that it was a futile desire. She'd feared she might hurt him by even asking. And now, he was offering it freely to her... Quickly, she attempted to distract herself with other, mundane thoughts that might scour any trace of red from her eyes. Slowly, with more effort than she was willing to admit to herself, she felt her fangs receding.

"When we're back, after the break," he qualified.

Her gaze narrowed. He should just let the topic drop, before she lost her composure a second time. Before she could form an answer, however, he stated suddenly, "I thought of something else I want to do."

"What? Not another nap..." She eyed him suspiciously.

"No. Braid your hair."

Rima stared. The day she understood Senri Shiki seemed to inevitably move farther away. Of course, if she did drink his blood, she would understand far more than she possibly could otherwise. With a small, forceful intake of breath, she determined not to think of that at the moment.

"It will be cute," he assured her.

"Shiki-kun..." Her tone was meant to be a warning.

"What?"

"...Fine." She caved in begrudgingly. After all, this was the one chance he would have to do it, and all too soon they would have to part ways for weeks...

All the same, she wished that she didn't enjoy his fingers running through her hair quite so much.

* * *

 **AN:** I wonder if Rima or Shiki realize how they're very slowly getting more physical with one another (-wiggles eyebrows-). Hehe.


	20. Chapter 20

Before Rima knew it, the break was upon them. Somehow, it was suggested that several members of the Night Class visit her home during the break, and Rima found a number of annoying people thrust on her...yet, it was a relief. As much as she disliked the company, particularly since they hadn't even asked her how she felt about this spur of the moment visit, at the very least their presence would take some of the pressure off her at home and distract her from Shiki's absence.

Their goodbye had been brief. She'd tossed him a box of chocolate pocky and waved, murmuring, "See you," and that was it. There were few words spoken and fewer feelings exchanged. She'd gone out the door with her head high and an uneasy feeling clenched in her chest. Shiki himself had merely nodded in response without even a goodbye for her, but she thought she'd seen his eyes flatten out to grey as she turned away. It worried her more than she was willing to admit.

Yet, there was little time to indulge in worrying. Herself, Ichijou, her annoying roommate Ruka, the more annoying Hanabusa Aidou, his cousin Akatsuki Kain, and strangest of all, the pureblood Kaname Kuran, took the underground railroad to her house in order to spend the long holiday. Even Seiren had mentioned joining them later, although it seemed she had other things to do first. Of all of them, the only one she would have permitted to come home with her would have been Ichijou, but the decision had hardly been hers, and her parents couldn't easily refuse the request of a pureblood. Knowing them, they were probably using the opportunity to scout another unwanted suitor for her. They would be incredibly disappointed to learn that all of these 'friends' supported the monarchy, even Ichijou, whose family legacy was built around the council. That thought brightened her mood a little. Perhaps her parents would be so absorbed in their futile quest to find her a match that they wouldn't pester her at all about it.

Despite her reluctance to go home, however, she did enjoy returning to the mountains where her house was, secluded from society. The manor was far enough away from the school that the climate was very different; colder and fresher. Rima had always thought the colors there were more vivid and real than those in the cities. There was something refreshing about it. She felt as though she was breathing deeper here than back at the academy. It would have been relaxing if she wasn't preoccupied with her coworker and perturbed with the unwanted excess of company.

Currently, after the servants had shown the others to their rooms and put away the luggage, the six of them were sitting in the parlor, sharing a plate of cookies. Her parents weren't at home just yet, although unfortunately they would return later that evening. In the meantime, it seemed everyone was content to chat and snack. Rima herself wished to be alone, but that was all but impossible. Instead, she had seated herself between Ichijou and Kain, hoping to use them as a barrier against the more irritating Aidou and Ruka.

"We should have taken a car even if it would have taken longer." Aidou was complaining, again, for the millionth time, undoubtedly thinking back to all the stares they'd received in the station and on the train itself. Rima had shrugged them off. Together, they made a striking group, after all. It was only natural that the humans would look at them.

"Aidou, we were only being watched. I doubt those people will suspect us," Kaname sighed, and for once Rima found herself agreeing with the pureblood.

Ruka nodded, immediately agreeing with her one and only true and hopeless love. "The Day Class started off gazing at us like that, too."

"Now that you mention it," Ichijou said, "They did stare a lot... But Kaname is the only one they watched from a such a distance at the school. Maybe they instinctually understood that he is a fiendish creature, wearing the skin of a beautiful human..."

"Takuma-san!" Ruka gasped.

"Fiendish creature..." Rima shook her head. Only Ichijou was impudent enough to say such things to their leader. And only Ichijou could get away with saying such things, too.

"Kaname-sama, Ichijou-san is saying things about you!" Aidou exclaimed, indignant.

"Yes, I heard." The pureblood waved him off. "I think he's hit the mark." Cries of disagreement rose up, so the dorm president quickly cut them short by saying, "In any case, it's finally the holiday, so let's stop with the formalities, Aidou."

"Yes," the blond vampire murmured obediently, staring at his feet in chagrin.

"Since we're all here away from the academy, I wish we could all sleep together," Ichijou commented blithely.

Ruka colored red. "If my grandmother found out we did that, she would kill me!" she hissed.

"You don't have any interest in pillow fights?" the vice president pouted. Rima rolled her eyes. How absurd. No one would ever suspect that this person was the grandson of one of the most powerful and scary senators on the vampire council.

"Your grandfather wouldn't like it either," Rima pointed out to him, much to the blond's dismay.

Aidou chipped in then. "Yeah, Ichijou-san's grandfather is rather oppressive. Even though Kaname-sama was staying with them, it's natural that he became a runaway..."

"What are you saying all of a sudden?!" Ichijou cried, glancing back and forth between them in distress.

"I'm sorry, Aidou, that you have to look after a homeless me," Kaname stated blandly.

At the same time, Ichijou rushed to the pureblood and threw his arms around him, exclaiming, "Kaname, Aidou's so mean! I can't do anything about my grandfather, but he still says hurtful things! Even I don't want to see my grandfather's face, which is why I'm being a nuisance and intruding on Rima-chan!"

"No, no, I'm not-! I didn't mean that you were bothersome! I...ahhh!" Aidou turned, banging his head against wall beside his armchair quietly in despair.

"Since I am bothersome, let's go, Takuma," the pureblood suggested, and as the two left Rima wished she could do the same. Instead, she was stuck playing host. Why had they chosen her house? It was a mystery. Perhaps Kaname had wanted a break from the limelight. If that was the case, she couldn't blame him.

"Kaname-sama hasn't tried to go home to his mansion... Ever since we started life at the dorm, even during holiday breaks...," Ruka mused, eyes locked on the hallway the pureblood had disappeared into.

Aidou grew serious. "I understand how he feels. All Kaname-sama has is the council, and even now he's being controlled by Ichijou-san's grandfather under the guise of kindness. Plus, the mansion holds memories of his parents, so it might be hard for him..."

Rima didn't want to talk about the pureblood. Of course, it was tragic that he'd lost his parents at such a young age, but regardless she wasn't in the mood for a discussion that would undoubtedly end in adoring praise of the dorm president's merits. She stood, adjusting her skirt, and asked, "Ruka-san, would you like to see the garden?" Under normal circumstances, it was an invitation she would never have extended. But these weren't normal circumstances. And perhaps the natural flower scent of the garden would help disguise Ruka's overpowering aroma.

"Oh, thank you. I'd like that." Ruka seemed a little distracted, but she stood and followed the model out of the room.

"There are a lot of flowers and a lot of roses...my mother likes them." She shrugged.

"They're my favorites," her roommate told her.

Unsurprising. "It's here," she told the girl, pushing open the door that opened into the courtyard at the center of the house.

"Oh! It's lovely!" Ruka exclaimed.

Rima nodded. Yes, the garden was quite an aesthetic. It was small but quaint, with a variety of blooms that were dominated by roses of several colors. That was the only aspect of the garden that Rima found boring. Of course her mother would choose roses. Everyone chose roses. Ruka, as well, went straight to the roses. Rima preferred the other blossoms, the ivy that crept up the walls, and the marble statue that functioned as the centerpiece to the garden.

Joining the honey-haired vampire by the roses, Rima reached out, touching the soft petals of the nearest rose. As her hand fell, one of the thorns pricked her finger and a single drop of dark blood welled up against her skin. Strangely, she was reminded of Ichijou's birthday party, and of the small cut that Shiki had licked up from the vice president's finger without hesitation. Would he have done the same, if it were her? Maybe she would have that answer, if and when she at last tasted his blood. She tilted her own finger and the drop fell, vanishing into the earth. If only her worries would vanish so easily.

"I wonder if Shiki-kun will be okay returning home..." she murmured. Those words, like her blood, disintegrated away unanswered.

* * *

Home. Such a big, empty place. Senri felt that emptiness gnaw over him, pricking against his skin like goose bumps. Gathering his strength, he pushed open the door and stepped into the hall. To his surprise, no one was there to greet him. He shut the door with a creak, sniffing the air. There was only one scent here: his mother's. The servants were gone.

Troubled, he announced, "I'm home."

A soft voice exclaimed close by, "Senri!"

Reaching the source, the model found his mother sitting on the wide steps that led upstairs. Her hair was a disheveled mess, tangled around her pretty face and nearly vacant eyes. Her dress was unkempt, one sleeve hanging limply off her shoulder, the skirt wrinkled and fading. The sight wounded him. She had banished the servants again and allowed herself to fall into this state once more. It wasn't the first time she'd done so.

He moved towards her, stating quietly, "I'm home."

"Senri..." She rose, touching his cheek almost as if she did not recognize him. There was something lost and broken in her eyes.

"I'm back, Mother," he repeated, and gradually her focus sharpened.

She threw her arms around him. "Senri, Senri!" He couldn't mistake the joy in her voice, and his heart twisted. He hated leaving her alone, yet also hated being here.

At a loss, he murmured, "Let's at least comb your hair. The fans from your acting days would cry if they saw you like this."

She smiled at him and followed him up to her room. They had done this a million times. He took up the brush, she the burnished silver mirror, and slowly he went to work on the strands of thick, knotted hair. It would have been easier to cut it, but for some reason she would scream whenever it was suggested. Probably his father had liked it this way. Rido Kuran... His grip tightened on the handle of the brush, but he kept his movements gentle.

The process was familiar and slow. His mother was humming some song under her breath, patiently enduring his ministrations. Unbidden, he remembered Rima's hair...remembered how different it was. It was silky, smooth, and fair, the opposite of Hana Shiki's. He shouldn't be thinking about it now, but he wished his coworker was here with him. Wished it was her hair he was brushing, instead. And hated himself for wishing such a thing.

His mother tilted the mirror back, observing him, and commented, "You're beginning to look more like that demonic bastard..."

His heart jumped fearfully, though he kept his voice low. "Really? Since I don't know Father's face... But I always thought I looked a lot like you."

"Yes, you do, but..." She paused. Then, "I liked that deep look that never told me what he was thinking. You have the same look."

He'd known it was dangerous, leaving home. Known it in the marrow of his bones. Getting closer to Rima, it really was... He shuddered. She had promised she wouldn't let him become like that, but could she really stop him? He was letting himself become too selfish, too involved, and already...already, he wasn't sure if he could go back to how he had been before.

"Senri," Hana said suddenly, interrupting his thoughts, "there's a letter from the council of the ancients. My uncle from the council came by yesterday and asked me to give it to you. Since he doesn't have children, I think he wants you to succeed him. He wants to meet with you. Of course, we can't say no because it's from the council, but come home quickly, okay?" It was the most lucid statement he'd heard from her in a long time.

"Where is it?" he asked.

"Here." She touched an envelope on the corner of her vanity and he nodded. He didn't particularly want to be involved with the council, but she was right that they couldn't refuse his request. "I'm hungry," she added, twisting around and standing, already poised at his throat. "Give me some fresh blood."

Of course. It was inevitable. She was always hungry and always would be, because the blood she wanted was forever gone. He tensed. How could he empty himself again for her? But, much like the letter, her request was not one he could refuse. "How spoiled. Well...alright..."

Her teeth cut him like knives. Deep. So deep. He flinched, sucking in a sharp breath as the pain washed down to his fingertips. If she could sense that she'd hurt him, she showed no indication of it. Instead, she pushed deeper still, each pull from his veins so ravenous that he nearly hissed aloud. He should be used to it. She'd always been this way, even since he was little. And he understood that she was desperate for something unattainable. This was the thread that stitched the last pieces of her sanity together.

Jaw clenched, he caught sight of the two of them in the handheld mirror she'd set back on the table. She was drinking enough that his own thirst was kicking up, eyes dusting red with the need to replace the lost blood. He'd brought the tablets, but he wondered if they'd be enough for him to recover quickly from this. Watching the reflection of that scene, he was struck by how careless she was. Blood escaped her, staining down his neck and clothes, and involuntarily he felt his mind jolt back to Rima again.

Rima... He'd offered her his blood. Perhaps she would understand after drinking from him just how insidious his thoughts were becoming towards her. And he couldn't help but wonder, how would it be? Surely, her bite would be nothing like his mother's. The thought of his coworker's teeth at his neck was at the same time intimidating and enough to make his blood rush faster. He wasn't quite sure how he'd react to it. Would he flinch away from her, have to force himself to stillness the way he did with his mother? Yet, he was beginning to feel a need for it. For something different. Something to break him away from this wretched feeling. Increasingly so...

His mother released him suddenly. And started to cry. Huge sobs shook her small frame, leaving her gasping for air. He could only stare at her, as though over a huge distance, entirely disconnected. His neck felt numb. He stared as she broke down before him. Stared at her as she clutched her head and screamed at him, "Demonic bastard!" Her words threw shadows over his heart. She had read it in his blood, then. He really was becoming more like his father. Yes, he was really...despicable...

She was still screaming when he picked up the letter and left wordlessly. He muted the sound as he closed the door behind him and walked mindlessly through the halls back to his own room. He wondered how much she'd tasted in his blood. Surely she knew the depths of his betrayal, now. He was no longer the doll he'd promised to be. He was no longer quite so...empty...

Now, however, he just felt numb.

* * *

Rima stared into her closet. The maids kept it organized by color at her request, so there was an entire section dedicated to the color blue. The azure shades dominated her vision, and for a moment she almost felt as though she was looking into Shiki's eyes. Automatically, her gaze flicked to the calendar hanging on the adjacent wall. The neat rows of white boxes seemed to stretch on into infinity. So much time... It would be so long before she could return to the academy...

Pushing aside the blue clothing, she reached for a light brown cardigan and wished, not for the first time, that she could just sleep to pass the days until break was over. Everything was quickly becoming tedious. Her parents. The Night Class. Being home. Worrying over her colleague. All of it...

Or maybe what was tedious was that the air was a little uncomfortable to breathe without Shiki around.

* * *

The day after he arrived home, Senri visited his great-uncle. His mother hadn't left her room, but nevertheless he'd stood by the door and told her, "I'm going to visit your uncle now. I'll be back as soon as possible." There was no answer save for a quiet sob.

Maybe he should have been grateful for the escape. But, standing in the unfamiliar manor, he felt uncomfortable instead. His great-uncle was a small man with shifting eyes and shoulder length, blond hair. His smile did not seem entirely sincere as Senri greeted him. "It's been a while, Great-Uncle."

"Everyone doing well over there?" his relation asked with a notable lack of interest.

"Yeah, okay," he responded. "But...to be honest, all the servants have been fired." It went without saying that the older man should hire more immediately. Hana Shiki could not and would not care for herself. She should not be alone.

"So I've heard. Don't worry about that for now. Today I want to show you something, Senri."

His great-uncle gestured, leading the model through a hall and down some steps that he assumed went to the basement. As they descended, a powerful odor rose up to meet them. It was strong, with an undertone of sweetness reminiscent of pureblood. However, this particular smell rankled. He could not quite place it.

"I don't really like it here," Senri muttered.

Misunderstanding, his great-uncle snapped, "What? It's not about taking over my place on the council. You're not a child anymore."

 _That's not what I meant_. He kept his mouth firmly closed. Could his great-uncle not smell it? There was something here. Something old and powerful...

The older man continued, "That's why, as part of the Shiki family, I will reveal to you my deepest secret that I've been hiding up to now. Well then..."

They were out of the staircase now, in the basement as he'd thought they would be. The room was dark, and in the center was an open sarcophagus, stained with blood. It was from there that the odor originated. As they approached, Senri saw that the tomb was filled with blood. And in the blood... His eyes widened.

"The reason was to protect him. Your father..." His great-uncle gestured.

What he was smelling...it was a pureblood, regenerating... "So he hasn't died. How disgusting."

"To say something like that about your father, how cruel," another voice chided. "He may not look it, but he's quite alive! But it seems like it's reached its limit now. That's why I was looking forward to meeting you when you're grown up."

Brow creasing, the model discovered a small child standing beside the sarcophagus. A small child with mismatched eyes... He frowned, disturbed and confused. His father had always been described like that, with different colored eyes. Who was this boy? The child was looking at him with a gaze that was distinctly un-childlike. There was something about this place, about all of this, that had him on edge. Tension pricked at his nerves.

"Excuse me for keeping you waiting, young master," his great-uncle apologized to the boy, who immediately collapsed.

As the small body fell, another body rose from the bloody depths of the sarcophagus, skin and sinew grotesquely patched together, unfinished. The half-made face before him held the same jolting eyes. One brown and the other blue. A hand rose, vile blood splashing onto the model's face, and he stepped back as those fingers reached for him.

A raw voice spoke from the depths of the incomplete throat, "My cute son. Senri, lend me your power."

The fingers found his skin, smearing his cheek with blood, and a hushed murmur pooled in the corner of his mind, gently plying at the edges of his vision. As though entranced, he welcomed it and it lapped at his thoughts like undulating waves, licking and curling around his consciousness, balmy as a kiss. Like a ribbon of shadow, it slid silk-like down his throat, swathing and filling every part of his body. His stumbling heart gorged on it, swelling in his chest with scintillating black.

And then, suddenly, its gentleness became violent, twisted around his limbs and dripped down his veins, slicing him open from the inside like winter glass. It gripped him tightly, seeping so deeply into his skin that it stained his blood and choked his tongue, rotting even his shadow, leaving nothing untouched. That strange, foreign presence was compressing him down, flattening him.

 _Wait._ The thought rang through his mind belatedly, sluggishly. _Wait. I don't want this._

But the weight was muffling him, fogging over his thoughts, pushing him stumbling backwards. His thoughts were blurring over, exiled to uncomprehending darkness. He was helpless against the power of a pureblood.

 _Be silent_ , a new voice bid him in a fierce, undeniable request.

No... But he was locked into drowsiness, into indifference, into a black void of clamoring silence. Vaguely, through a haze, he could see his body moving, disconnected from him, as though he were a zombie. How fitting that it would end this way, trapped in his mind, his body confiscated by a sinister, malicious puppeteer. No, that puppeteer...that was his father...

 _Silence,_ the voice mandated again, and he felt the embers of his self-murdered heart die down a little more, quieting mildly. Nothing. That was what was required of him. To be nothing. Nothing and no one, eternally... Just as his mother had wanted... Just as he'd tried to be his whole life... Wasn't this what he had been raised for?

But he couldn't chase away the sapphire eyes. The golden hair. The electric blood.

Rima...

If he was nothing, he could no longer be beside her. No, he didn't want that, didn't want to be apart from her-!

 _Silence._ The force behind that single command staggered him.

And he was silent.

* * *

 **AN:** RIP Senri. Jk jk. Here begins the drama. Also, did Hino EVER tell us who that little kid was (the one Rido also possesses)? It's gotta be another of Rido's kids, right? But then...when was he born? How was he born? I mean...if Rido was completely destroyed...when did he have a chance to father another baby? Or is this like a cousin or something? I'm still very confused over who the kid is. Anyone have any insights?


	21. Chapter 21

The break passed, as all things did, and at last Rima was free to return to the academy. Underneath the surface, a gentle kind of excitement bubbled through her. At last, she'd be back to the relative freedom of the academy, away from her stifling parents. She'd be back to modeling, to her books, and away from the constant, all-too-close presence of both the pureblood and several particularly annoying members of the Night Class. Ichijou had left early, leaving her entirely alone with a group of troublesome people. The only exception was Kain, but she hardly knew him well enough to call him a friend, and in general he didn't interfere with his overbearing cousins. Most of all, however, she wanted to see Shiki again, even if the prospect of doing so made her a little nervous.

What had happened during the long break? Would he come back the same, as his former grey self, or as something else entirely? Would he remember the promise he'd made, to give her a taste of his blood? She shivered. Drinking Senri Shiki's blood had long passed from vague curiosity into a palpable need, aggravated by his absence. For the first time in her life, Rima felt just a trace...lonely. She hated depending on anyone, but somehow...against her will, it seemed she needed him around, just a little... At least, that little bit was all she was willing to admit to herself.

The first day of classes, the annoying Yuki Cross was on the Night Dorm premises with a clipboard, checking off an attendance list. The repetitive click of her ballpoint pen was enough to annoy the blond model, who glared at her from afar as she greeted various members of the Night Class and ticked them off her list. Rima did her best to ignore the small girl's presence, her attention outwardly turned to the magazine in her lap, although inwardly she was on the sharp lookout for the moment when Shiki's subtle scent announced his return.

At last, however, the petite human caught her attention when she paused to muse, "Let's see... Ichijou-senpai and Shiki-senpai are going to be a little late because of family matters...right." The pen went to work, scribbling down a note at the bottom of the page.

Now Yuki entirely held Rima's attention. Late..? She hadn't heard anything about that... Had something happened with Shiki's mother? She closed the magazine, setting it on the end table beside the couch, and watched the oblivious human as she finished writing whatever it was she was writing on her paper. At last approaching the girl, Rima asked in her best attempt at politeness, "Miss Disciplinary Committee, did Shiki-kun contact you?" It grated on her to be so formal, but insulting the prefect might not be the best idea when she wanted information.

Yuki glanced up, distracted. "Eh? Yes."

"Hm..." She frowned, and like a crack of lightning she was suddenly on the verge of anger. So Shiki had taken the time to send _Yuki Cross_ a message, but not her. He'd taken the time to advise the _human prefect,_ but not his colleague and friend. And then just as suddenly the almost-anger simmered down, and rather than irritation, what she actually felt was...concern. Ichijou hadn't contacted her, either... Neither of them had...

"Toya-chan?" Aidou asked. His concern was a surprise, especially since she'd rarely spoken to him before break. Maybe they'd inadvertently grown a little closer over the holiday, after all. Or at least, maybe Aidou perceived that they had. Rima didn't feel much, if any, differently about the blond vampire.

She shrugged, explaining, "My manager commented on it... It looks like Shiki went to work one day this week...but I haven't been able to contact him."

"Knowing him, contacting us about it is probably too much of hassle for him to bother with, right?" His bright blue eyes were very different from Shiki's. Icy and sharp, they were the polar opposite of the rainy blue that characterized her coworker's gaze. An unfamiliar feeling wormed through her chest, and quite abruptly, she didn't want to talk to Hanabusa Aidou anymore.

"Maybe..." she allowed, turning away, as the realization bloomed within her: _I miss him._

Rima Toya did not _miss_ people. She did not _need_ people. She was independent and self-sufficient. That was the only way to bear centuries of long life without also enduring centuries of heartbreak and grief. How unlucky that she'd developed this crush... No...this attachment... Her fingers twisted up into her palm, and she instructed herself carefully not to worry. Shiki and Ichijou were just going to be a little late, surely, and then they'd be back. There probably wasn't any cause for preoccupation, or else they would have contacted her. That was the only circumstance that made sense.

With that in mind, she excused herself up to her dorm room and determined that she was overreacting. A shower would help wash away her doubts. And if it didn't, Shiki and Ichijou would be back before long, anyway, and put such worries to rest. Stepping into the bathroom, she closed the door and tugged the ribbons loose from her hair.

Glancing at herself in the mirror, a bittersweet half-smile, half-grimace pushed at her lips. Most likely, she wouldn't be wearing her hair down any time soon... Then, just as quickly she turned away from the glass, setting the ribbons on the sink and getting undressed. She wasn't going to think about anything even remotely related to Shiki right now. Even so...she couldn't seem to shake such thoughts...

* * *

Senri was floating through a landscape of oblivion, through solitary, shapeless dreams and ultraviolet nostalgia. Bodiless, untethered and weightless, he drifted through a cavernous nothing, a night so deep that it swallowed him whole. The silence choked him, besieged him, drove deeper into every crack and crevice of his skin.

He wanted to breathe again. Wanted to wring the shadows out until he could see again. In the darkness, words seemed to crawl out of his mouth like spiders, "Not bad..." An unfamiliar form fell to the ground through a haze. A body? Vaguely, he recognized the taste of blood in his mouth, and across the room for a single moment he could make out Takuma Ichijou's shocked expression.

And then he was fading out again. Smothered into nothing...

* * *

Days passed by like the slow drip of water from a leaky pipe. Bored, worried, and frustrated, Rima spent hours doing nothing. Staring out the window. Staring down at the book in her hand without processing the words. Staring down at the paper where she tried to design something new, but in the end was forced to leave blank. Staring up at the ceiling from her bed, wondering why, all of a sudden, she couldn't fall asleep so easily. Most of all, she spent long minutes staring at Shiki's empty vanity table at work. The staff mentioned he'd come in for his individual shots in an upcoming shoot, but he still hadn't come back to work with her, and most of all he still hadn't tried to contact her.

Shiki's absence alone was troubling enough, but when she paired it with Ichijou's absence, she felt increasingly unsettled. Neither had Ichijou sent her as much as a single word of explanation. She'd thought they were close friends, but maybe she was wrong. Did close friends disappear for weeks without explanation? It was almost two weeks since the new semester had started and still neither vampire had returned. If they didn't return soon, she might even become bold enough to demand explanations from Kaname Kuran himself.

It was early and she was just returning from the agency, where once again Shiki hadn't been. Most of the members of the Night Class were probably still asleep. Dusk would be coming soon enough, and Rima hadn't slept at all. Flopping down onto the couch of the common room, Rima covered her face with her arms and groaned. She was tired. More than actual, physical exhaustion, she was tired from the waiting and tired of not knowing where her friends were. Right now, she just wanted to sleep. But, she had class soon, and she should eat something, at least...

The scent of one of the Night Dorm servants disturbed her, and a cheerful voice bade her, "Welcome back, Toya-sama."

 _Go away._ She didn't want to be bothered. Not by anyone. Rolling over to her side, she pressed her face into the couch pillow and attempted to ignore the maid.

"There are actually some guests waiting for you." There was a note of apology in the woman's voice.

Guests? Who would visit her here? Sourly, she calculated it was probably her parents. Were they actually bold enough to come here to propose a match for her? How bothersome... Keen on dismissing them immediately, she started to say, "Right now I'm-"

A familiar voice drifted across the room, causing the words to fall forgotten out of her mouth mid-sentence. "Rima-chan. I'm back."

Her eyes snapped open. That voice..! Her nose picked up Ichijou's scent immediately, but Shiki's... There was something strange. Something wrong. Sitting up, her eyes fumbled, found the pair descending the stairs. They'd come back while she was gone. Without a word, without...without anything.

She frowned as they approached. Ichijou's expression was...off. Something wasn't right. She was finally seeing her old friend again, but the vice president wasn't smiling. Instead, there was a tension lurking beneath his features, and an equally unknown expression gracing Shiki's. Something almost predatory had taken over the set of his mouth.

"Shiki-kun...what have you been doing?" She strove to keep her voice even, even as she felt her pulse spike anxiously.

He shrugged. "I had to do something. But, more importantly..." His hand touched the back of the sofa as he leaned over her, entirely unrecognizable in demeanor. Even his voice sounded different. Lower, more confident, and almost commanding. "I'm really hungry," he murmured, locking her with a voracious stare that jolted through her system. What...? Shiki was really scaring her right now. This wasn't like him. What was going on...? An icy chill crept down her spine, one vertebrae at a time.

Glancing at Ichijou, she saw that he was staring at the floor, mouth turned down in an expression she had never seen before. Swallowing down her anxiety, she turned her attention back to the person before her. One of his eyes was brown, quickly darkening to a dull crimson, hungry red while the other remained grayish blue. What had happened during the break? Was this really...Shiki? There was something revolting about his scent right now...something powerful...something...but she couldn't put her finger on what that something was.

"Hey, Shiki-kun...your eyes... What happened?" she challenged, golden eyebrows jutting down to mark her confusion.

He smirked, and she caught a glimpse of sharpened fangs. Those eyes, slowly picking over her body, settling against her neck, paralyzed her with...fear? But she had never been afraid of Shiki before... This feeling, it was almost like the sensation of compulsion she felt when a pureblood issued a direct order. "Something happened," she whispered, suddenly sure. Something, but what? Her mind was tangled, knotting up even more as Shiki abruptly leaned forward, reaching for her. Her limbs felt numb, frozen solid beneath that strangely potent gaze. Should she refuse, or let him take what he wanted? Did he really need it that much? He had never asked for her blood like this before. Even that night at the dance, he hadn't taken it until she'd insisted rather forcefully. He certainly didn't seem like he'd ever ask for it in front of anyone else. This wasn't like him at all. Not at all. And for the first time in her life, she was stricken with an uncertainty so overwhelming that she couldn't move.

Drawing in a painful breath, Rima felt a surge of resolve return to her. She couldn't let him take her blood here and now like this. Not until she knew what had happened and why he was acting this way. She opened her mouth to refuse just as Ichijou stepped forward, grabbing the mahogany-haired model's arm and stopping him before he could touch her. Plastering a falsely cheerful smile on his face, the vice president said, "Stop playing around, Shiki-kun. Don't we have important things to do?"

That unsettling smirk again. An almost fiendish glance back at her. Or rather, at her neck. And then Shiki shook off Ichijou's arm, striding away back to the staircase. "Yes, we do... Another time, then, Rima-chan." It sounded like a promise. Or...a threat.

"See you later..." Ichijou's voice sounded strained. Then he disappeared up the stairs after her coworker.

As soon as they were gone, Rima slumped back against the couch, heart pounding. What had happened over the break? This...this couldn't be Senri Shiki. But it was, wasn't it? The face was the same, and the body, but...but those horrific eyes, that terrible smile, and worst of all, the oddly repressed scent of the blood she craved... Her hands pressed down tight against the couch cushion, staring after them in disbelief.

Just what was going on?

* * *

 **AN:** I think in the manga Rima is already watching over Yuki at this point, but for the purposes of this fic, she'll do that just a little bit later. Also, I really wanted to link this particular possession back with Shizuka's possession of Maria, and how others around her could kind of sense Shizuka as a pureblood even though they didn't know what was going on. (If you remember, Aidou and Zero especially observed this; when she touches Aidou (and Zero) his body responds to it automatically even though he isn't sure why.) I thought it should be the same with Shiki, that Rima would kind of vaguely feel the presence of a pureblood (even without knowing it).

I'm sorry this chapter took so long to get out! This coming weekend, I'll be flying out to visit family and be there a week, so it may be a little while until the next chapter. This definitely goes for the Aidori fic as well, which I'm much slower to work on... (And I do apologize for that). I'll try my best to get some more chapters out soon!

As one final note, I know Rido's eyes are supposed to be more of a red-brown and blue, but I prefer this: one crazy brown eye that keeps slipping to red from his eternal hunger. Makes him even scarier I think.


	22. Chapter 22

**AN:** Sorry this chapter really isn't the best but I wanted to get it published because I'm going on vacation so idk when I'll have a chance to update it. Just a head's up, it may be more than a week or two until the next chapter, since I won't have much time to write! As for the Aidori fic...another chapter is coming...eventually... -shot- (Sorry!)

* * *

When Rima had entered the academy, she had entered with extensive doubts. Although she'd welcomed the distraction, she'd thought the philosophies behind the Night Class futile and, moreover, the Night Class members themselves to be rather dull. Attending lectures was boring. Playing nice with the humans was boring. Her fanclub was boring. Everything was boring. Yet she'd been pleasantly surprised with life at school, because of one reason alone: Shiki.

Abruptly deprived of him, the academy no longer seemed tolerable. Classes most of all were a drag, made even more so because she no longer wanted to sit near her former friends. She intentionally arrived late, choosing seats far away from them, and to her surprise Kaname did not once reprimand her for it. Occasionally Ichijou sent her a forlorn glance, but she thought he was relieved with her separation from them. The same questions circulated through her mind on repeat, again and again, ad infinitum: Why? What was happening? Who was this new Shiki that she couldn't recognize?

At a loss, she started spying on them. Between classes, during classes, whenever they appeared in the common room of the dorms. She kept her distance, immediately leaving if Shiki so much as stepped her way. She didn't want a repeat of the first night, and it was obvious that he hadn't regained his senses. She was aware that he knew she was watching him; occasionally he'd glance at her and smirk, but such actions did not deter her. She was disgusted when he continually approached Ruka, seeming to enjoy the scent of that overpowering blood he hadn't been able to stand prior to the break. She was shocked when he openly spoke to or even subtly mocked Kaname every now and again. And she was concerned with how protective Ichijou was, constantly monitoring their mutual friend and holding him back whenever he did something particularly aggressive or out of character. Although the vice president tried to dissimulate with a paper-thin, too-cheerful smile, she saw right through him. His usually bright green eyes darkly warned her off the moment she found herself too close to them, and his brow creased in warning if she stared too long.

Yet she couldn't figure out what was wrong.

At work, the staff abruptly announced that their current project had been put on hiatus, and that Rima would be working with someone else. A human. Speechless, she'd had no choice but to agree. Her manager knew next to nothing about this sudden change, saying there appeared to be a problem at home and Shiki was taking some time off. When she glimpsed the individual photos he'd taken, she couldn't shake the feeling that it almost seemed as if someone else was peering out of Shiki's eyes. His hair had been arranged to cover his right eye, but she knew it was brown. Brown, or maybe red. An eye changing color like that, it was something she'd never heard of. But noticing it did not bring her any closer to the truth.

She lay awake a long time each morning, thinking about it. Wishing she'd had a chance to taste his blood just once, to understand him just a little more before now. She felt bitter, because this was the first time she'd ever liked anyone the way she liked Shiki, and before she'd even come to terms with her feelings, he was gone. At least, _her_ Shiki was gone. There was some other, imposter Shiki here now, one she did not know. One she had never even glimpsed before.

A week passed. Two. Three. At the end of this third week, Kaname Kuran unexpectedly called her for a private meeting. Rima dared to hope he'd explain Shiki's circumstances. Perhaps she'd finally get answers from an unexpected source. When she entered the room, the mood seemed appropriate; the Night Dorm leader was standing against the far window, figure silhouetted in shadow, every line of his body pensive. For a long moment he continued to stare outside before finally acknowledging her presence.

"Rima, thank you for coming." Kaname turned from the window, fixing dark eyes on her. She pursed her lips, hating the familiarity with which he spoke her name, but maintained her easy, submissive stance. He was a pureblood whether she liked it or not, and he had the right to call her however he chose.

A small smile touched the Night Dorm leader's lips, and she wondered if he'd somehow gleaned her thoughts. Then he grew serious again and the conversation took an unforeseen and unwanted turn as he said, "Actually, this may come as a shock to you...but I've taken Yuki Cross as my lover."

The human? That little prefect girl? Rima wanted to snort. She had never understood Kaname's obsession with Yuki. But neither did it particularly concern her, and she told him as much. "You can be with whomever you like, Kaname-sama." The title grated on her tongue, but she forced it out all the same.

Another smile. "I do appreciate that sentiment. Many others would disagree with you. However, such a discussion is not why I called you here. I want you, along with Hanabusa, Akatsuki, and Ruka, to watch over her when Kiryuu is unable to. Don't let her wander off alone, especially at night. Escort her to and from her classes. As the lover of a pureblood, she will be particularly vulnerable."

What? She stared at the vampire across the room from her in shock. She didn't have time for such a menial task! The much greater concern was Shiki and what had happened to him. Infuriated and surprised by the request, the words were out of her mouth before she'd thought them through, "You think someone would dare to attack her?" Quickly realizing she'd spoken out of turn, she added an almost perceptibly insincere, "Forgive me..." She turned her gaze to the floor, nerves heating with anger. Now was not the time to be babysitting the human prefect. She needed to devote that time to discovering the truth about her friend. She'd thought Kaname might provide those answers, but it was apparent from his demeanor that now was not the time to ask after them. The disappointment simmered against her skin.

He made a dismissive gesture and answered, "There are always those who would dare to oppose me. Thank you for your time, Rima. You may go. And take care of my Yuki." It was obvious that she could not refuse.

"Yes, Kaname-sama," she said, giving a short bow and wasting no time leaving the room.

How absurd. She was to look after Yuki Cross? Why not Seiren, or one of the other Night Class members? Just because Kaname had invited himself over to her house during the break did not mean it had to be her. They were not friends. Her family did not support him. So, why? To keep her in check? To win her over to his side? Rima didn't care about politics. She cared about Shiki...and precious little else.

Walking down the hallway back to her room, the thought nudged at the corner of her mind. Perhaps the same could be said for Kaname Kuran. He cared about Yuki...and precious little else. To him, surely, Shiki was of no importance. An acrid smile touched her lips. Maybe she had more in common with the pureblood than she cared to admit.

A pair of scents clouded her nose as they rounded the corner ahead. Ichijou's vivid summer perfume paired with that other, stranger smell... A smell that was almost sickly sweet, muddling the agar and rain that was Shiki... It made her want to gag. It was not the scent she'd grown familiar with.

"Hello, Rima-chan." The voice was familiar, the tone foreign, and the gaze distinctive.

"Hello," the word burned, a hard lump in her throat, congealed and heavy with a sense of wrong that permeated through every cell of her skin. She wanted to say something else, anything else, but her lips were restrained, chained to those two syllables. She was suffocating around that painful lump lodged in her throat.

 _Hello_. That word could never begin to express the agonizing sentiments pent up in her chest. Couldn't begin to express how she missed him in every place, missed the drifting scent of rain that accompanied her on that bench where she read. She missed the sound of his voice, quiet and subdued, missed the shared workspace, missed the feeling of his fingers woven through her hair. Now, she only had the memories that lingered underneath her skin. The Senri Shiki she knew was gone. Whoever this was, whichever version of him, it was not the one she'd grown far too fond of. That was why she'd never wanted these feelings in the first place.

Nevertheless, she'd never expected to lose him this quickly...

* * *

Senri was used to losing things. To misplacing them, to letting them go, to forgetting. He'd lost his ambition and his dreams and even his identity. But here, in this black of another mind, he feared he'd lose more. That he'd slowly forget touch, taste, sight, and sound... That he'd forget everything and everyone, and fade into oblivion. And it might not have bothered him at all...but somehow, the thought of losing Rima, of forgetting her...it sent him into a cold panic. Even more so when he was entirely disconnected from the insidious "hello" that left his lips. When the voice and the person that called out to her so familiarly wasn't him at all. If he could have felt anything distinctly, he was sure that his father deceiving Rima and greeting her with Senri's body and voice would have caused him pain.

He was stranded deep in impenetrable darkness, darkness imprinted with painful images he didn´t want to bear. He didn´t want to see those sapphire eyes peering at him, seemingly through the darkness, seemingly straight at him through the foggy dark that was Rido... He didn´t want to be confronted so viciously by the life that had been stolen from him. Since he couldn't escape, couldn't fight back, he only desired for the darkness to become so complete that he could no longer see through it, neither into the future or into the past. Locked tensely in the empty, midnight corridors of his own mind, he was drowning in the wind of bleeding, unspoken words that silently poured from his unresponsive lips.

They were moving past each other now. He felt as though his bones were pressed tight against his skin, aching towards her, and he could almost hear his father's thoughts laughing at him. But he was standing in infinite black, a mire that only drug him deeper each time he tried to move so much as an inch. And even if he was shouting loudly to her, she couldn't hear him, because his mouth and tongue and teeth weren't his own anymore, and his entire consciousness was bogged down, inundated with that black.

 _Go to sleep, Senri._

And abruptly everything was snuffed out.

* * *

Her eyes dropped away to the ground like sinking anchors as they passed by one another, swallowing around the jumble of almosts lodged in her throat. She had almost spoken his name. Almost reached for that passing hand. Almost met those strange, haunting eyes that had passed over her without feeling, without memory. The sound of feet behind her grew fainter with distance and her breath choked her. That pivotal moment when she could have called him back, when she could have at least whispered a goodbye, was gone and shattered like glass.

As they parted, Rima felt as though something stretched between them, a string that became taut with distance. She had the sensation that a noose was tightening around her heart. She slowed, feet dragging to a halt, listening as the door to Kaname's room opened and they disappeared behind it. For a moment, something gripped her. Something dangerous that almost bid her to go to that door, to listen against it for any clues their conversation might provide that would help her understand what had happened to Shiki. But no. She took a deep, calming breath. She could not do that. Kaname Kuran at the very least would detect her presence there, and most likely both Ichijou and Shiki as well...

Abruptly, a loud crack thundered from behind the closed doors and she heard Ichijou cry out, "Kaname!"

Her feet twitched, nearly sending her towards the room, lungs expanding tightly against her chest. And then, just as suddenly, the cracking broke off. Rima drew in a slow breath, intently listening as she heard Ichijou continue in a desperate cry that reached her ears even from down the hall, "I'm sorry, but I won't let you hurt Shiki-kun! I won't let him be a victim of this dispute between the two of you!"

What..? She shook her head, confused. 'The two of you...' Then...who was that? If it wasn't Shiki...? But it was undoubtedly his body...

At last regaining some of her composure, Rima quickly made her way down the hall, away from Kaname's room. Had the pureblood attacked Shiki, then? She shook her head, brow furrowed. But why? Was this what Kaname had referred to in their conversation, what he wanted to protect Yuki from? Was the person who wanted to harm the prefect none other than Shiki himself? But why would Shiki want to hurt Yuki? Shiki had never cared much about Kaname and had cared even less for his affairs. It just didn't make sense. Nothing made sense. It was almost as confusing as the time when Maria Kurenai had come to campus.

Her steps jerked to an abrupt halt once again. Maria Kurenai. That was right. She'd acted oddly as well, under pureblood compulsion. Her eyes widened. Pureblood compulsion...possession... No, but that could only be done by close relations... Wait. In sudden, horrified realization, she felt her hands clench into fists by her sides. There was definitely at least one person who could certainly control Senri Shiki in such a way...

Rido Kuran.

No, no, that was surely impossible. Wasn't he dead? She shook her head, thoughts and pulse in a rush. If he hadn't died, then..? Forcing herself to slow down, Rima considered. It was a definite possibility, one she hadn't thought of previously. But Rido was a Kuran, and there were more members of the Kuran family, relations that had married into other family lines. More likely, if someone had possessed Shiki, it was a cousin she didn't know about, related to him through Rido. She needed more time to observe Shiki. For now, she'd only watch...watch and come to her own conclusion.

* * *

 **AN:** Idk if you guys remember, but when Rima confronted Shiki in the manga she outright demanded to know who he was, so she already had a good idea that he was possessed. Rima is smart anyway, unlike certain other female characters... -coughYukicough- So it makes sense to me that she's already sorting it out.


	23. Chapter 23

**AN:** I'm so sorry it took so long to get this chapter out. I was planning to write another chapter between the last one and this one, but no matter how I wrote it, it always came out super short and I didn't know what to put there...so I just skipped to this. With only Rima and Shiki narrating, it really limits what I can write about, because Rima doesn't know what's going on and Shiki is kind of out of it... And if I write more of Rima watching Shiki and thinking it just feels repetitive (and short)...

I'm really unhappy with how this chapter turned out but...well...I don't want to make you guys wait any more! So here it is... -sweatdrop- Hope you can forgive me.

* * *

Days passed, melted into weeks, chilled into November. Before long, the entire semester would pass her by in an agonizing blur. To Rima, it felt as though her feet were shackled in irons that she dragged heavily behind her. The drudgery continued: class, modeling, protecting the tiny, obnoxious prefect; those three things were a rotation of chores that she grew to hate. And while she became increasingly certain that Shiki was under pureblood compulsion, she grew increasingly _un_ certain as to who it could be or how to end it. It was not like her to be so thoroughly defeated, but the only idea she'd had was to directly confront whoever was in Shiki's body, and she wondered what good that would do. If anything, judging from how desperately Ichijou tried to keep them apart, it could put her in danger.

When she had tried cornering the vice president into answering her questions, he'd gone pale and stiffened up and only said, "Now isn't the time, Rima-chan. I'm sorry." And then he'd pushed past her and walked away, leaving all her questions unanswered.

There was no way out. Nothing that she could do. She hated to admit it, but life hadn't felt the same, lately, as though the colors and textures had faded to the same shade of grey that Shiki's eyes had once been. Something hollow clenched in her chest and she realized that she would rather see that old, bleached out grey than the mismatched, foreign eyes that marked his face now. It would be better to forget Senri Shiki and return to the peaceful existence she'd had before she met him, but she didn't know if she could. What she did know was that she couldn't abandon him. If he was trapped somewhere within himself, she would have to find him there.

If only she knew how...

Tonight, the Night Dorm was eerily silent. Rima lay face up in bed, arm flung haphazard across her brow, staring up at the ceiling and wishing the seconds would stop passing at such a terribly slow speed. Her head was muddled and she could feel that she was tired, that she should try to sleep despite the early hour, but there was a restlessness growing within her and she simply couldn't relax enough to slip into unconsciousness.

That was when she smelled it.

She sat straight up in her bed. She knew that scent. It was the scent of fresh blood. She stood and threw open the window. It was cold, so cold that it had started to snow, and the smell of blood wafted through the open air. She inhaled deeply, finding the aroma familiar. She knew that blood. Yuki's blood. Even from this distance, Rima could smell it. It smelled...different. As the moments passed, that scent grew stronger, clearer, until she finally realized that overly sweet perfume for what it was: _pureblood._

Impossible. It should have been impossible. Yet, she couldn't deny what her senses clearly told her. Lately the entire academy was in a state of tension, a string bent so far back that it was at the point of snapping at any moment, and Rima... Rima felt that something was going to happen. She knew that something was happening overhead on the academy roof, yet her feet steered her in the opposite direction, down the hall and out of the dorm.

Perhaps she should have been concerned about what the new, pureblood scent of Yuki's blood meant. Curious. Cautious, even. Instead, she only felt an intense resolve to confront the person in Shiki's body. Perhaps it was dangerous, but with the scent of that familiar and yet unfamiliar pureblood thickening the air, her inhibitions vanished one by one. Shiki and Ichijou weren't hard to find, anyway, not with her keen sense of smell to track them down. They weren't far away either, standing on the path between the dorm and the academic buildings, facing the direction of the academy. Instead of approaching, however, she lingered overhead, atop the wall that ran the length of the path, hidden behind interlacing branches of an adjacent tree. She remained very still, listening intently to the pair below.

"Your face tells me that you are dissatisfied," Shiki was saying, a smirk marring his face. "Is it because I want to make Yuki my prey, or is it because you betrayed Kaname? Or, is it because I'm using Senri's body as a hostage?" A hand reached up, wrapping around the model's slender throat with crushing force. Rima felt every muscle in her body tighten, poised to intervene if necessary.

"Please, stop!" Ichijou exclaimed, prying loose the offending hand. Rima relaxed, letting out a small breath of relief. At least, Shiki had confirmed her suspicion. It was not really Shiki in that body...but someone else. The question was, who?

She didn't have much time to ponder over it, however. "Hey, don't just sit there, come here." Mismatched eyes flicked up to her hiding place. She held her breath, flinching. "Rima."

Her slight movement must have given her away. It was okay, she assured herself. She was going to confront them anyway. Now was as good a time as any. "Hey you..." She narrowed her eyes, examining those unknown ones closely. "You aren't Shiki-kun, right? Who are you?"

A laugh. Without warning, something red and sharp sped across the distance between them, lashing across the tender flesh of her stomach. Her instincts kicked in and she vaulted back, arm compressing defensively around her middle. When she pulled her fingers away from where they pressed against her side, they were stained red with blood. Her eyes widened. This person had attacked her... Attacked her with Shiki's own power... She felt her fangs lengthening with rage. How dare this person! How dare he use her friend's hand for such a thing!

She grit her teeth. "Hurting a model's body, you're the worst! And in a sudden attack, too! At times like this, it feels good to be a vampire." Already, the wound was closing up, flesh knitting back together where the whip of blood had slashed through it. She leapt lithely down to where the two stood, gaze honed in on the stranger who had possession of her coworker's body. In particular, his hands. The next time he tried to attack her, she'd be ready.

Ichijou immediately moved between them, turning his face towards her as he murmured, "That wound is quite deep, don't force yourself."

"Ichijou-kun..." She flexed her fingers, feeling tense and relieved at the same time. At least it was evident that Ichijou was doing his best to protect both her and Shiki's body. Certainly there was nothing he could do about the possession, either...

"Now is not the time to use Shiki-kun's hands to do such a thing," the blond addressed the person inside the mahogany-haired vampire's body now.

"What if I say that sooner or later I will remove all of the anti-councils just like Ichiou hoped? And anti-monarchies, as well..." Those sinister eyes were focusing on her again, the smirk back in place and subtly deepening in threat.

"Rido-sama..." Ichijou's tone was a warning.

Rido?! She forced herself to take a deep, slow breath to calm her nerves. Then...her first assumption was true! She had thought it impossible, just as she'd thought that Yuki being a pureblood was impossible. Yet, who else could so easily commandeer the model's body? She wasn't sure how the pureblood had survived all this time, but right now it didn't matter. The only thing that mattered was kicking Rido Kuran out of Shiki's body. She didn't know how, but she knew she had to try. She wouldn't let the pureblood defile his son's body any longer.

She'd had enough. "You're pissing me off." Her anger and disbelief burnt her alive, coursing lightning to her fingertips. From that fire came her words, "Using Shiki-kun's face and voice and saying something so vulgar to me. I will kick the person inside Shiki-kun's body out. Just put that in mind!"

"Hmph." Rido chuckled in amusement. "It's not that easy."

Lightning sparked from her fingers, flying towards her coworker's body. If Rido wouldn't leave of his own volition, she would shock him out. Tear him out of the body by force. The pureblood might say that it wouldn't be easy, but Rima knew Shiki was in there somewhere, listening. If she could only reach him, perhaps... Perhaps he could awaken.

The thought was short-lived. Rido easily sidestepped her attack and, without warning, intense pain abruptly burst through her chest. She stumbled, the world distorting and morphing together in a blur of indecipherable colors and sounds. Somewhere through the fog she heard Ichijou cry, "Rima-chan!" It was distant. For a long moment, she felt as though she was falling without ever reaching the ground. And then, sluggishly, she registered an arm anchoring her, and she leaned against a body she slowly recognized as her friend's. Her chest burned, pulsed hotly. There was blood...a lot of blood...and a ringing in her ears. But gradually, gradually, her grainy vision was coming back into focus.

"Hm...wrong side?" she thought she heard Rido mutter.

"Rido-sama!" Ichijou's grip around her tightened. For the first time in her life, maybe, she thought that the blond sounded angry. Furious, even. His arm was trembling, but she couldn't see his face. She didn't have the energy to lift her head to look.

The ringing was growing louder. She coughed, and felt something warm fleck across her lips. Blood? Her strength was fading, but still she managed to admonish in a whisper of equal parts grief and rage, "Shi...ki... Idiot..! Letting someone else do what he pleases, you should take care of yourself more!"

Something stiffened in the model's face. He took a lurching step, and for a moment, a short, dizzying moment, she thought the second, brown-red eye flickered with blue. "Don't...fight...back. Senri," Rido growled in her coworker's voice.

Then the ringing swallowed her whole.

* * *

 _Don't fight me,_ Rido snarled in his mind, and Senri pushed back. Pushed back harder than he had when he'd misdirected his hand, piercing Rima through the lung rather than the heart. If he had struck her through the heart...

A shudder ran through him.

It had almost been his own hand that had ended her life. If he didn't do something, the next time he moved under his father's compulsion, he might actually end it.

He could see her there through the haze of Rido's mind, supported limply in Ichijou's arms, blood-stained and unconscious, and he didn't know what he was doing. He just _pushed._ Pushed and pushed and struggled against the weight of his father's mind. Vaguely, he could hear Rido cursing, commanding him to be quiet again, but the image of Rima broken and bloody was burned into his brain. It was a sight he knew he'd never forget for the rest of his life. And it was his fault. His alone.

He had let his father harm her... He had stood witness while Rido nearly killed her... The words echoed emptily through his mind, not for the first time. " _How contemptible."_ The memory was stuck on replay, forcing him to watch his own power, his own whip of blood, stab through Rima's chest as though it were made of nothing more than paper, over and over again.

It was his own thought that resounded most loudly now: _Get out._

He pushed harder. Pushed until something gave and lifted from him. A weight. A conscious. He wasn't sure what to name it. In the aftermath, he felt a moment of giddy relief, saw Ichijou staring at him in shock, and saw rather than felt himself hit the ground.

He was free.

Free, but everything was black.

* * *

 **AN:** Yeah, I know, it sucks. Sorry... I'll go back and fix it when I get inspired... :X Also I know this makes Rima seem weak compared to Shiki, but the scene in the manga is...well...kinda like that. She doesn't fight back at all. I know in the anime she does but I guess in the manga she doesn't want to hurt Shiki? Idk.


	24. Chapter 24

**AN:** Hey I'm back! Sorry for the wait! This one is a longer chapter, so I hope that helps to make up a little for the last one... Also, I mentioned this as a note at the end of _My Scarlet Letters_ , but initially some of this chapter came from another oneshot fic that I took down because I wanted to make a longer Shima fic (and obviously I did!). So, if you read that old crappy oneshot, some of this may seem a little familiar. However, I remastered, rearranged, and added on a bit to it, so maybe you won't recognize it. And hopefully the quality here is a little better than before. Anyway, on to the chapter~

* * *

Senri woke up curled into the center of the bed, lungs shut tight, heart bleeding through his chest. He struggled to press it down, to staunch the flow of misery and grief, and instead tightened his fingers around his throat, remembering the vile taste of stolen blood, remembering the life he had nearly torn from an innocent's body. Remembering the flow of power through his fingertips, barely misdirected from ending Rima's life...

Barely...

A panicked breath stole across his lungs, drawing in with it the smell of blood. He sat up with a jolt, eyes immediately falling upon Ichijou's familiar outline. Dust was billowing from the vice president's hands, coating the dresser that Senri vaguely recognized as his own. They were back at the dorm, then. Takuma Ichijou had killed a vampire in their dorm room...

"Ichijou-kun? What are you doing?" His voice came out strained and thin. His head hurt, pulsating with red and black tendrils of pain. He pressed his fingers to his temple, as though that simple touch could soothe it.

The blond blinked, looking back at him. When his green gaze met Senri's blue, something like relief etched itself over his features. "Something happened. A weird vampire showed up and attacked you guys when you were asleep."

Ichijou had stayed behind to protect them, then... Senri frowned, glancing out the window. Nearby, something was happening. The presence of dozens of vampires pressed down around them, and there was so much pureblood that the air was thick with it, heavy and sticky-sweet. It rattled down his throat, burned with memory through his veins. His father... His father had taken hold of him...

The model shook his head, pushing the thought away for the moment. "Other than this, don't you have somewhere you wanted to go? I'm okay now, so..."

Ichijou sheathed his katana and nodded once. "I see. I will leave Rima-chan to you, then." With a small smile, he left the room.

Senri looked back at the bed then to the sleeping form beside him. "Rima..."

His pulse jumped with apprehension and remorse. She seemed so fragile, her breathing slight and labored, her skin nearly translucent. As if she were a porcelain doll that might fracture at any given moment. And the worst part was that she was in that state because of _him_. It had been his hand that had nearly ended her life. His hand.

 _His._

It was tearing him apart.

He had only lived as his mother had wanted. Had only obeyed her wish. " _Senri, if you want Mom to calm down, then just be quiet and live like a puppet."_ He had done that, but...but...

 _The flash of electricity across furious fingertips. "Shiki! You should love yourself more!"_

Even if it meant breaking every promise he'd made to his mother, he couldn't hurt Rima again. Not ever, ever again. He would spend the rest of his life trying to make up for this. A thousand years. Ten thousand. He was sickened with shame, horrified of himself and the decision he'd made. He'd nearly killed...nearly...

"...Sorry..." he whispered hoarsely, wrapping his arms tightly around her sleeping form. "I'm sorry." Those words would never be enough.

Another presence entered the room, and Senri sat up, lifting his head to take in the unfamiliar man before him. A vampire, that was obvious, but one the model didn't recognize. Another like the one Ichijou had killed, then?

The stranger glanced around the room with mild curiosity. "I just came to check on something... Oh, aren't you Rido-sama's puppet?"

"No. The puppet can move by its own conscious now." The corner of his mouth twitched, his fingernails sliced through the skin of his palm, and within moments his dresser was coated with a second layer of ashy dust.

* * *

Rima opened her eyes to a hazy blur of colors. The room was spinning. Her lungs felt pinched and tight, each breath burning down her throat. Somewhere in the midst of it, she grounded herself on the scent of dusky rain and the steady pulse of a heartbeat against her shoulder.

A tired but familiar voice was muttering, "Sorry, it's too dangerous to stay here. I'll have to carry you out."

She struggled to wake, to speak, to move, but instead she felt as though she was being pulled down by heavy weights. Her quick inhalation of breath, a futile attempt to say something, sounded like a faint rattle. It was enough, however, to draw the attention of the person holding her.

"Ah! Rima...it's me, Shiki. Sorry, we have to hurry right now. We'll move a bit and then exit through the window."

Shiki? Yes...that was...the scent of rain. She couldn't focus. Her throat was dry and her limbs felt disconnected from her body. The words tumbled out thoughtlessly, a croak. "Okay... I'm hungry... Give me some blood later."

"Sure."

Sure... Already the word was falling away, into nothing. They were moving. Cold air hit her skin, and she felt more than saw Shiki leap down out of the window, the jolt of the landing enough to spike a web of pain across her chest.

And then, before her vision faded and slurred into unconsciousness once more, she saw them. Two mismatched eyes, one glowing bloody red, the other a smooth but manic blue, that bore directly into her skull.

 _Rido..!_

That was her last thought before her eyes shut of their own accord and dragged her down with them into sleep once more.

* * *

Senri was exhausted. So very, very exhausted. Just killing the stray vampire that had wandered into his room had been enough to drain what little energy he'd recuperated, but then he'd had to carry Rima through the middle of an expansive fight between Rido's followers and the vampires and hunters of the academy... His father's mismatched eyes had seemed to follow him every step of the way, bloody and mocking. He didn't know how the fight had ended, or if it even had. Nor did he know how he was able to carry Rima out of the academy, into town, and up three flights of stairs to a hotel room, the only safe place he could think of. All he knew was that there was nowhere else to go and he had to get her somewhere safe, somewhere warm. It was all that mattered. Because Rima was the only important thing in the entire world, and everything else was a pale ghost beside her.

A wave of fatigue had him staggering on his feet. He was barely able to set Rima down before he fell onto the mattress, welcoming the relief that sleep would give him from his tired body and tormented thoughts. Vaguely, through a fog, he thought that he should stay awake, just in case someone had followed them. But before the thought could finish, everything plunged into darkness.

* * *

Rima opened her eyes slowly, letting sleep fade. Faint light pricked at her eyelids, and she shut them quickly, even those slight rays causing her irritation. Her mind felt bleary, blurring in and out of focus, and she had a hard time forming a coherent thought. She did register, however, someone's arms around her, holding her close and warm. She snuggled closer, sighing softly and beginning to fall back to sleep.

No.

Her eyes snapped open suddenly and she froze in horror. Where was she? She struggled to remember what had happened, and sluggishly, previous events came back to her. The possession. The fight. Ichijou intervening, failing to stop Rido from inevitably hurting her. She had been trying to bring Shiki back to himself. Had been trying, and then had passed out from her wound. The wound that had been inflicted on her by Shiki's own hand. But before she had lost consciousness, she had seen the awareness flood back into his eyes for a brief instant. It had been fleeting, a brief flash of blue before she'd been overcome by the black static of unconsciousness, but there all the same. That was where her memory faded.

 _Shiki…!_

She had to find him. She had to kick that disgusting creature out of his body, by whatever means necessary. She would not allow anyone to defile him like that! And then her thoughts ceased quite abruptly as she realized where she was. That warmth… The arms around her, holding her close… The soft, rhythmic breathing against her hair… The legs tangled with hers were…

 _Shiki…_

She closed her eyes, inhaling his scent deeply. Her whole body relaxed as she pressed even closer to him. A thrum of contentment rose in her chest, and she began to wind her arms around him-and stopped quite suddenly. What was she doing?! She jerked away abruptly, aggravated and anxious. How did she know that the person lying there was Shiki and not his father? She scrambled to sit up, disentangling herself from him to stare down at his sleeping form. His eyes were closed, and her brow furrowed in vexation. How could she know the difference?

But she did know. No one would have left her in a bed with someone who would most likely attempt to murder her while she slept. Which meant that the one lying there had to be Shiki.

She took a deep breath of relief and closed her eyes slowly, attempting to subdue her pounding heart. When she opened them again, she found herself gazing down at him, his sleeping face completely unguarded and vulnerable. Her heart twisted in her chest. She had begun to think, during the weeks before, that he might never be himself again. Carelessly, she touched his hair, letting her fingers slide through the silky strands, and then brushed her fingertips across his cheek, unconsciously smiling to herself. But, under even so light a touch, his eyes fluttered open.

She snatched her hand away quickly, suspicion lingering as she observed him critically. His left eye had now reverted back to its usual clear, tranquil blue. If she'd had any remaining doubts as to who was before her, they were swept away now. He blinked, shaking his head in mild confusion before sitting up, his expression bewildered as he took in the unfamiliar room. He looked at her as if in supplication, begging for explanation at the surroundings, and she was helpless under the plea of those eyes. The ones she'd worried might never be untarnished blue again. The inexplicable urge to touch him, to wrap her arms around him, flooded over her. In a strange, sporadic compulsion, she leaned forward instead and kissed his cheek softly, eliciting a tentative return smile from him.

And then rapidly, awareness filled his eyes. She could see his mind clicking into action, registering where he was, why he was there, and what had just occurred. For a moment, he only stared back at her, perhaps unable to do anything more. Then, in a blur of motion, she felt his arms close around her, the force propelling her backwards against the bed so that she had to twist to one side to avoid falling off. Despite his impulsive action, however, he managed to keep from landing against her roughly. Even his sporadic decisions were graceful.

His face was hidden against the pillow, his arms wrapped around her tightly, trembling slightly. His voice was the barest whisper as he repeated, over and over again, "I'm sorry."

There was a pause, and then she gradually moved her arms up, returning the embrace. His whispers gradually drifted into silence, and the only noise to break it was the barely audible sound of their breathing. She stared up at the ceiling, felt him close his eyes, and neither of them moved for what seemed an eternity.

And then, he sat up carefully, eyes searching her face with concern as he asked, "Are you alright? I didn't…I…." He trailed off, a haunted look passing across his features momentarily.

The events that had left her at the brink of death came crashing back down on her with vivid clarity. "Idiot!" She shot back up into a sitting position, glaring at him accusingly. "Why did you let him do that to you?" _Why?_ It was the question that had been plaguing her for weeks.

His eyes fumbled down to the bed, concentrating with rapt attention at a random fold in the blankets.

"Why?" she demanded angrily. Her eyes were blazing crimson with irritation now, fangs fully withdrawn.

"I'm sorry…," he whispered, the pain in his eyes more than obvious as his expression contorted in agony.

"Don't ever, ever let anyone do that again." She didn't think she could bear it if he did. Even a century from now, even a thousand years...

His gaze remained fixated on the crease.

"Look at me." She grabbed his face in her hands, forcing it up so that his agonized eyes met hers. "No one is allowed to touch you but me," she declared fiercely.

Shiki was utterly still for a long moment. Not moving, not speaking, not even breathing. But then he moved his hands up, over hers against his face, and inclined his head forward so that their foreheads touched lightly. He smiled slightly, her favorite smile that crinkled one corner of his mouth, and all of her thoughts immediately tumbled from her head.

"Yeah…," his voice was low, but she heard the words clearly. "You're right. You're the only one allowed to touch me."

She wasn't sure if she'd heard correctly. She had definitely said way too much, but for him to agree..! At the same time, she became aware of something entirely different, something that had been dormant while her body had slowly woken up. Sharp, insistent pain wrenched through her, and she shot away from him, hand flying to her chest. She gasped, nearly convulsing as that pain speared out, lashing through her brutally. Her fangs remained extended, unable to recede, and she was aware that her eyes must be glowing vivid, bloody red.

Having suffered serious injury from the whip of blood that had narrowly avoided her heart, she reasoned that it had taken quite a bit of her energy to recover. Not only that, but she hadn't fed since the last time she had been awake, and she had no idea when that had been. That was, if she counted consuming tablets as feeding. And to make matters even worse, the one sitting so close to her was Senri Shiki, the vampire whose blood she'd been desperately craving for months now. It had been impossible not to long for it even when she was well fed with blood tablets, but now that she was starving, in a flustered state, and in a rather small room with him…she didn't know how she was going to be able to resist. The rainy, agar scent that rose off his skin was utterly irresistible. She bit down hard on her lip, drawing blood as her body shook with effort.

Despite her apparent need, she refused to ask him for what she most certainly needed. He had offered it to her before, but that offer had been made under different circumstances, and after all that he'd been through just recently, she knew it would be wrong to ask it of him now... More than wrong. Cruel.

"Rima…," he said softly, stretching a hand to her. It almost looked like an invitation.

She shook her head back and forth vehemently, managing to choke out, "In my purse..."

He smirked ruefully. "Unfortunately, I didn't have time to get that."

"Don't you-" She broke off as another spasm ripped through her.

"Rima," his tone was firmer now, a touch adamant. "You already asked for my blood…remember? And I already told you that you could have it."

What? She struggled desperately to recall that, scowling to herself. When had she asked such an indecent thing? There was something nagging at the edges of her brain, and she could vaguely remember being cradled in someone's arms…someone telling her that they were taking her to safety… That was when..? But the memory slipped away from her like sand.

"I wasn't myself, I didn't know what I was asking," she hissed.

He sighed dramatically, rolling his eyes, and then he was suddenly pulling her back with him as he leaned against the headboard, tugging her onto his lap. She gave a muffled squeak of indignation as his arms wrapped around her, pulling her against him so tightly that she could feel every inch of him with sudden, blazing awareness.

"Really…," he spoke with a slightly exasperated tone. "You've always got to be so difficult about everything."

Being pressed so tightly against his body, her pain constricted breaths pushing her against him sharply with each inhalation, and her blood lust starting to make her dizzy, she knew there was no way she was going to be able to resist drinking his blood. So she exerted an iron grip on herself, determined to make this as painless as possible for him.

"Thank you," she murmured, a little shyly, twining her arms around his neck.

"Anytime," he muttered, but she could see he was smiling faintly.

Forcing herself to stay calm, she leaned her head against his shoulder, pressing her lips against his collarbone delicately and thrilling over the taste of his skin. It was lucky for them both, she thought distantly, that he had worn one of his lower cut shirts, as anything else would have risked being stained with blood. She didn't want to have to explain such a thing to any humans...

Her heart was racing as she kissed the side of his throat. She felt his body grow taut, perhaps expecting her to bite him then. She was surprised at herself as well; her thirst was only growing stronger by the moment, but nevertheless she couldn't stop herself from first sliding her lips down the side of his neck and raising her left hand to caress his throat from his chin to the hollow at his throat. She heard his breath catch, and this time she ran her tongue over the perfect, smooth flesh. His chest hitched, and she did it again, loving the taste of his cool skin.

Inevitably, the pain wracked her body once more, searing through her veins like fire in fierce demand, and she could not prolong the moment any longer. Cupping the other side of his neck with her left hand, her fangs broke the pale surface of his skin, sinking down into his veins with precision. She shuddered, right hand moving to twine through his hair as the blood she had been lusting for finally filled her mouth.

Her first taste was of rain. Soft, evening rain that gently coated the leaves of the trees and the flowers. The rain taste was chased by a flavor similar to the first brush of twilight, blended with traces of agar. It was addictive and mellow, tinged with deeper flavors that she couldn't name. It was absolutely amazing. No, it was better than that. To actually taste this blood… She pulled deeply from his veins, relishing every mouthful. It was so much more incredible than she had ever imagined. Shutting her eyes in ecstasy, she focused only on that beautifully sweet flavor.

His arms loosened now that she was doing as he wished, one hand rubbing her back in slow, warm circles to soothe her, the other around her waist. She felt him sigh, although she wasn't sure what the cause of that was. Was it her imagination, or was his heart beating a bit irregularly, as well? Certainly he wasn't enjoying her drinking his blood..? But her overwhelming hunger and the taste of his blood was driving away all thought. It was the only thing she could grasp just then. With a vague sense of irony, she realized that their situations were reversed from the time at the dance when he'd drunk her blood...

Such thoughts were distant, however, and for a while time stood still. She wasn't sure how many seconds had passed. The only thing she knew was that she was being held in Shiki's arms while she drank his blood. It was something she had only fantasized about before, as loathe as she was to admit that she'd been fantasizing about it at all. And it was as warm and comfortable as she'd hoped it would be. No...with the saccharine taste of evening agar on her tongue, it was better...

Her thirst slowly died down to a manageable level, and while there was a part of her wanted to linger, she also didn't want to take too much from the already-exhausted mahogany-haired model. So she swallowed one last mouthful and quickly pressed her tongue against the bite marks, sealing them shut. At the same time, she caught the stray droplets before they had traveled even an inch away from her lips. Rima had always been very tidy with her feeding, and this time was no exception. Her tongue cleaned the wounds with dainty, measured strokes, and then ran across her lips to ensure that every trace of blood was removed.

She knew that she should sit up now, pull away, but something compelled her to remain as she was, head against his shoulder, arms around him. She was intoxicated with his blood, her body feeling warmer than she could ever remember it being, and she idly brushed her fingers against the two identical, healing marks on his neck. To her surprise, he didn't move. Instead, he shifted her closer, further into the circle of his arms, and she didn't resist. As if in a dream, she kissed his neck again, tenderly, allowing her lips to linger over the wounds this time. He turned his head, his face only centimeters from hers, and her breath left her in a rush, mouth forming a surprised circle at his action. She'd never thought he'd look at her like this, but at that moment his eyes were liquid and intent on hers in a way that was making everything inside her melt.

Somehow, she found words. "Shiki-kun...I said this before...but please love yourself a little more..." His eyebrows tensed, drawing closer together, but he didn't answer and she decided to try again. "The only person that should define you is yourself. No one else," she murmured. Those eyebrows ticked together a millimeter further, but still he said nothing.

He was so close. Close enough that she could pull the words from his lips if she wanted. So close, and the grey in his eyes was flickering, flickering to ten thousand shades of blue on the verge of combustion. She had to break through the grey. Had to shatter it and reveal the colors beneath. She wasn't always good with words, but she wanted to paint the blue over his lips, wanted to know all the places the grey pooled and dragged him down so that she could drain it away.

Leaning forward, her lips brushed against his, and color erupted from that gentle touch. His mouth tasted like sweet rain and dusk, sweeter even than the flavor of his blood, and she painted a poem there against it, her lips moving with his in a rhythm that neither could hear, but Rima felt in her bones. She tasted unspoken apologies that dissolved on her tongue. She kissed him, and her mouth became the color of his mouth. She kissed him, and suddenly everything clicked into place.

 _Love yourself more,_ she thought desperately, _even if it can't be as much as I care about you..._

When the thought finished, realization bloomed, a pastel-petaled flower, inside her chest. There were still so many things that she didn't know, didn't understand about Senri Shiki. And yet, in spite of those things...still...

Still...

She was falling in love with him anyway.

* * *

Her kiss jolted him. Fired thousands of volts directly into his heart, stirring it from dreary slumber, singeing his veins and igniting his skin. Her untamed, wild electricity coursed through him, and although his chest seized with sudden, violent emotion, he didn't want the kiss to end. Didn't want to lose the soft warmth of her lips against his, didn't want to slip back to sleep. Unfamiliar longing was dancing across his flesh, and for a disconcerting, reeling moment he was pulling her closer, teeth catching against on her lower lip, demanding more of the lightning strike of her kisses. The wires of his self-imposed cage were falling down around him, torn away by that unexpected contact of her mouth against his. Like vapor he was helplessly drawn in by her lips.

Rima made a soft sound in the back of her throat, and perhaps it was that, or perhaps it was the feeling of her fingertips trailing aching sensations down his skin and sliding along his spine like honey, but quite abruptly he felt a dull thirst of his own crawling up his throat. He could not drink from her now... Not now, when she was weak from an injury that had nearly taken her life. With regret, he separated his lips from hers, sucking in a ragged breath, and when his eyes met hers, the thought rippled through him:

 _For your sake, I'll try to care for myself a little more..._

* * *

When the kiss ended and Shiki's eyes met hers, they were startling, effervescent blue etched with silver. She shivered, entranced, and only registered his voice when she saw his lips moving. "Hey, Rima... Do you remember, that day in the agency..? Why didn't you let go of my hand at that time?"

Even from such a vague mention, she knew the day he was talking about. That day, he'd held her hand and promised to go into acting with her. That day, it seemed that he'd reached directly into her chest and touched her heart. She took a moment to organize her thoughts. Then, "I just thought...even if I couldn't remain in anyone's memories, surely I would remain in the memories of the person who held onto my hand..." She didn't know how to explain it, but years from now when the memory of her and of her career was faded and forgotten, as it should be... Or centuries from now when there was no one to remember she had ever lived in this town...she wanted him alone to remember her...

Her coworker gave her a puzzled look. "I wouldn't forget you..."

"I know. That's why I'll forgive you for calling me Rima." She narrowed her eyes at him. He probably thought she hadn't noticed!

He laughed, and the sound sent a peculiar, new warmth suffusing across her heart. "You were always Rima to me...Rima"

A smile nudged at her lips. "How annoying."

"Ha."

She felt drained now, her energy sinking at an alarming pace as fatigue hurried to blossom through her body. She yawned sleepily, and heard an echoing yawn from him.

"Hey…Shiki-kun," she mumbled.

"Yeah?"

"Let's go to sleep now, 'kay?"

"'Kay," he murmured back, releasing her.

She laid down, burrowing her head against the pillow. Shiki was beside her a moment later, settling the blankets around them before pulling her against him again. She snuggled up to him wordlessly, leaning her head against his shoulder and tucking her arm around his waist. His arms were returning the embrace an instant later, and as an afterthought he shifted his head to her pillow, taking the other one to cover their heads from the now painful sunlight that slanted into the room.

"Thanks," she said quietly, eyes closing as her vision blurred.

There was a pause. Then, drowsily, "Rima..?"

"Hm?"

"When are you going to call me Senri?"

"Mm...maybe tomorrow."

And once again she was asleep.

* * *

 **AN:** One more chapter to go-should be another long one!


	25. Chapter 25

**AN:** It's not perfect, but it's finished. This is one of those chapters I might end up going back and rewriting to make it better. I hope it's not a terrible disappointment. If anything sounds familiar, I did work some parts of my old Shima oneshots into this, so I hope you don't mind.

* * *

It had been almost a week since they'd fled Cross Academy, but neither Rima nor Shiki made any suggestion to leave. Rima was sure their hotel bill was going up, but neither was she particularly concerned. They'd both contacted their parents in a vague sort of way to tell them that they were alright without revealing their whereabouts. As far as she knew, no one had come searching for them. She thought that was for the best. They still weren't quite ready to leave the small haven they'd made for themselves in room 354.

Rima shifted the plastic bags in her hands as she climbed the stairs to the third floor of the hotel, grimacing as they crinkled loudly. So far, her nightly convenience store raids had proved safe. At least, no one had recognized her, and she was grateful for that. Shiki always protested when she volunteered to go, and in the end caved every time when she expressed that if she didn't get out for a while she might get bored and they'd have to leave. Neither one of them was ready for that just yet. Soon, but not yet. Not until the events of that night at the academy were a little further removed from them.

At the top of the stairs she paused to catch her breath. It was there that she heard it. The sound was so small, the tiniest of barely uttered noises, that it was nearly impossible to hear. Yet, the noise fell on her ears immediately, as if it had been a scream ripped from a throat in terror. Because, such a small sound had the same equivalent.

Her feet propelled her to the door and into the room before another beat passed. A moment later she was inside, gaze falling upon the figure curled in the center of the bed. Asleep and caught within a nightmare, her coworker trembled, fingers pressed so tightly around his neck that the skin was white from the pressure.

She closed the door behind her with a quiet click and moved to stand by the bed, looking down at him, heart clenching in her chest. "Shiki-kun…," she whispered.

Setting her bags down, she climbed onto the bed and lay beside him. Rima reached out with a pale hand, touching his cheek softly. His eyes opened slowly, heavily at her touch, pools of deep sapphire drenched in starlight, filled with horror. They struggled to focus on her for a long moment, and then squeezed shut again, attempting to blot out the remembrance of terrible dreams.

She didn't need any further encouragement. She uncurled his fingers from his neck and slid her arms around him, drawing him close. She could feel him shaking as he clung to her, eyes shut tightly and face pressed against the side of her neck. The sound came again, a nearly inaudible whimper torn from him against his will, and he shook harder for a moment, chest heaving once against her. She understood, without him having to say. Ever since they'd come here, in the aftermath of the fight with Rido, Shiki had been haunted with nightmares from those weeks when his father had possessed his mind. She knew he was still wracked with guilt. She knew. And the only thing she wanted to do was erase it from his memory.

Instead, she just held him. She hated the feeling of helplessness, and all she could do was bring him closer, stroking his hair, leaning her cheek against his. His shaking slowed, stopped, and his breathing eased into a steadier rhythm; she drew comfort from that. Eventually he relaxed against her, fully released now from the grip of his dream. She hoped that, in time, these nightmares would fade away forever.

"He's dead, you know..," she murmured. "He can't hurt you or your mother again. Or anyone..."

"I know," he whispered. A long pause. Then, "I dreamt about hurting you..."

"Idiot. I already forgave you," she chastised gently.

He shifted away from her, just enough so that he could look at her face. The eyes that met hers were no longer grey at all, but blue. Beautifully, completely blue... Each time she looked at them now, they took her breath away. His words, however, broke the spell, as he asked a touch sardonically, "If you forgave me, then why haven't you called me by my name yet?"

Ah...that was right... She had said she would... She flushed, and found the words difficult to push out of her mouth as she grumbled, "You could always taste it in my blood..." His brows fell slightly, a sign of disappointment, and she caved in by adding on, "...Senri-kun." The syllables felt strange in her mouth. Strange, but good. She liked the weight of his name on her tongue.

Immediately, his eyes brightened, and he shifted forward to kiss her lightly on the lips. "I like it better when you say it."

"Better than what?"

He shrugged and said, "Better than my mother. Or anyone else." She smiled. "But," he continued, "the title sounds strange..."

She squinted at him. "What are you saying?"

"It should just be Senri...Rima."

"I'm still annoyed. You didn't even ask my permission to use my name so lightly...Senri."

He gave her a lopsided grin, a faint laugh rumbling across his chest. "It's better like that," he told her, and perhaps he was right. She didn't want there to be anymore distance between them, not after having nearly lost each other as they had. Everything they did together, every moment spent with one another, it was all so natural and so easy... She thought their names should be the same.

"I'm serious about my blood, though. You should take some," she offered, as always very much aware that her feelings would become more than apparent the moment he did so. But, perhaps it would be okay now for him to find out...

He shook his head. "No. Not yet."

Rima sighed. "I'm fine," she insisted.

"Not yet," he repeated. "Take more of mine first. Just a little..."

"Alright, but only if you do the same," she relented.

After a moment's consideration he agreed, "Okay."

This time, when her teeth broke through the skin, she caught a rush of thoughts and emotions that were distinctly his, distinctly Shiki. She could still taste the rain, the twilight, the agar, the evening, but beneath it she could also taste doubts, fears, and insecurities, coupled with an intense desire to protect her from all of those things. From himself. It was only a glimpse, but that glimpse into Senri Shiki was enough to understand him just a little better.

And beyond it, burning blue, was a longing that matched her own. A longing to remain by her side, to stay with her not just for their brief time at school or modeling, but forever. The feelings she tasted in his blood didn't have words. They could not be described simply, or even eloquently, yet she understood that he felt the same attachment that she did. The same sentiment that she wasn't quite sure was _love,_ at least not yet, but rapidly on its way to becoming such.

As his fangs settled into her wrist, she knew he tasted the same feelings reflected back.

Rima released him, moved her mouth to his ear, and whispered, "Me, too." His lips arced upward against her skin before his teeth separated from her, taking only that small taste to sate him.

"Yeah..." he murmured, thumb smoothing over the healing puncture marks.

Yeah... She should be content to leave it there, but with the taste of his blood lingering on her tongue she was stricken by a moment of weakness. She pulled him close, pressing her lips against his demandingly. His mouth aligned with hers and her lips went transparent, exhaling his name before he greedily swallowed the word. The horrors she knew dwelled in his heart fed the flames in her own. She would burn for him, burn so hot and fierce in his arms that she might incinerate every last one of them with a mere touch. She would salvage and reconstruct every unspoken word from his tongue, suck the sorrow from his lips, and treasure every second of their enjoined mouths.

She should stop, but instead she let him open her mouth, felt his tongue run behind her lips against her own. Within another moment, he had altered the kiss in a way that burned inside her, leaving her gasping, her pulse quickening into fire. His fingers slid down her cheek, leaving a trail of flames behind. She could feel his lean muscles beneath his shirt, straining against her with each breath, his body pressed so tightly against hers that she wasn't sure if they were breathing separately or together. The world did not exist beyond them and this one heated moment.

He gave her room to catch her breath; kissing her cheeks, her jaw, lingering over her neck, before snatching it all away again with another kiss that sent her reeling further into oblivion. Her fingers wandered, sliding up beneath the material of his shirt, tracing the flawless contours of his chest, his shoulders, his stomach, relishing the feel of his bare skin. She shuddered, and she could hear his breathing falter. She couldn't get enough of him. Clutching him against her wasn't enough, kissing him wasn't enough. She wanted _more_. She wanted all of him, in a way she hadn't ever wanted anyone before.

And then, just before she totally lost all her judgment, she felt him wrench himself away from her with effort, falling to the other side of bed, breathing ragged. She lay there for a stunned moment, trying desperately to gather air in her lungs and to calm herself down. The world was spinning around her, though from a lack of oxygen or an overdose of Shiki, she couldn't be sure.

She waited, the fire slowly extinguishing itself from her sensitized body, though every nerve was still hyper-aware of his proximity, dancing with electric memories of the ways he had been touching her just a moment before. She took a deep breath, then glanced over at him. He seemed relatively composed now, despite the uneven rise and fall of his chest, eyes half shut and hand over his brow to help shield from the increasing strength of the sun's rays through the curtains. They were rather flimsy, she noted with distaste. Hardly adequate for proper sleeping arrangements.

But looking at him brought back a familiar ache in her heart. She still longed to touch him…no, _needed_ to touch him, just to reassure herself that he was there, really there, as himself. That this was not a cruel illusion but a reality, and that Rido was long gone from that precious body. That his eyes were blue and would remain blue... Her arm stretched out to close the distance between them, hesitating for a beat before touching his hand timidly. His eyes flicked to her, and he smiled again, the corner of his mouth creasing upwards in that familiar and beloved way. His fingers laced with hers, and she was happier than she could ever remember being at such a simple touch.

Suddenly, it wasn't enough. She swallowed hard past the lump that had formed in her throat. It wasn't enough. She wanted to touch him again. To hold him close. A little more, even the slightest amount, would do. So she leaned over him, her face inches from his, hand resting against his cheek now. His eyes widened slightly in surprise. She let her whim control her, touching her lips to his with the barest of pressures. His breath caught, and she felt his arms fold around her, pulling her close again like she wanted. His lips were sweet and soft, brushing against hers like butterfly wings. Gently, tenderly…

 _Still not enough_.

He broke off the kiss as soon as she began to increase the pressure. "Rima. Stop," he admonished her, and the blue in his eyes was bright, hypnotic, and perhaps a little desperate.

"Why…?" the question sounded pitiful, even to her ears.

He shook his head slowly, almost in disbelief, it seemed. "How much control do you expect me to have…? We shouldn't do this now."

She glowered at him. Well, why not? She could feel her jaw jutting out stubbornly, in preparation to object.

"Not now," he repeated, cutting her off before she had a chance to begin.

Her eyes fixed him with intense disapproval.

"Later," he promised. "Another time."

"Fine," she sighed, settling back into his arms, perturbed but feeling suddenly too tired to pursue the matter.

"Hey, Rima…" his voice came after a moment, a barely audible murmur, scarcely more than a breath against her skin.

"Hmm?" she asked, letting her fingers trace down his spine lazily.

He shivered a little, arms tightening around her fractionally, and then whispered, "Let's stay together."

"Yeah…" she agreed, weariness beginning to tug at the edges of her mind. "Always."

Yawning, she dislodged him long enough to sit up and pull the blankets over them. Her earlier restless desire was gone, though. She was warm and content with Shiki so near to her. Not just for now, but for always. Within moments, she had drifted off into peaceful slumber.

* * *

[ _EPILOGUE_ ]

Days later, Senri and Rima would search for Ichijou, who had gone missing in the aftermath of the events at the academy. They wouldn't find him until much later, by coincidence, but Senri wouldn't feel lonely during the time between. Not while Rima was beside him.

Months later, Senri would try the new blood tablet pills designed by Sara Shirabuki, and be forced to separate from his coworker for a few painful weeks. Those tablets only magnified his desire for her blood tenfold. No, a hundredfold...

Years later, the pair would go into acting together, unknowingly sparking a chain of events that would force them to become fugitives from anti-vampire organizations. Yet Rima would tell him that she was happy, because she'd been able to pursue her dream.

Decades later, and his mother would turn to ash in the night, swept away by the wind, and he would feel sad to know that she had never found true happiness. But perhaps she had finally been at peace knowing that her son was safe. That he would not become like his father.

And somewhere during those long decades that bled into centuries, as naturally as breathing, Senri fell in love with Rima. Or rather, he realized that he was already in love. He couldn't say when or where or how, simply that it _was_ , and that was the way it should be. Him and her, together, for the rest of their lives. Which were very long indeed...

 _Fin._

* * *

 **AN:** I just want to say that however you may have expected this to end, I never had any intention of making things concrete between them. They don't say "I love you," there's no random proposal on Rima's part, nothing of the sort. It all just kind of happens, the way Shima have always been in the manga/anime. I suppose I could have extended this fic to cover more arcs and lead up to an ending where they do tell each other they love one another, but I kind of prefer to leave it up to the imagination?

Plus, truth be told, I wanted to finish this and the Aidori fic so I could start publishing another fic I've been working on (oops). I'm working on a story that centers around Ai and Ren (since a few people have requested something with Ai). I'm pretty nervous about it since it's so different than anything I've worked on before, so when I do publish it, please don't be too harsh on me (-sweatdrop-).

Finally, as I commented, there are at least 2 chapters in this fic that I'd like to rework. If/when I do, I'll post a note as a chapter so you guys know when I've done it.

Thank you all for reading and I hope you enjoyed the ride!


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